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1 

2 

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1 

2 

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S 

6 

1830.         ANNIVERSARY  MEMOIRS  OF  THE  BOSTON  SOCIETY  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY.  1880. 


,S^p 


THE  DEVONIAN  INSECTS  OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


BY  SAMUEL  H.  SCUDDER. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  SOCIETY. 

1880. 


, ;  -^.i:-.  j.!*^':  >:1l'i.'.Vj>  L-r.  -  -J'  I 


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The  Devonian  Insects  of  New  Brusnwick. 
By  Samuel  H.  Scudder. 


CONTENTS. 


I.  Introduction. 

II.  The  «tiucture  of  tlio  win^s  in  Ephemeiidae ; 
with  a  note  on  a  jiiraasic  inay-liy. 

III.  Pl.atciilienu'ra  antiqua. 

IV.  Gcrepheniera  Hiniplcx. 
V.  Iloniotlietus  fossilis. 

VI.  Dvscritus  vetustus. 

VII.  Lithentoiuuni  Ilarttii. 


VIII. 

IX. 

X. 


XI. 


Xcnononra  antiquorum. 

General  Riinunary. 

Note  on  the  geologic.il  relations  of  the  fossil 
iuHt'cts  from  the  ilevonian  of  New  Bruns- 
wick. By  Principal  J.  W.  Dawson,  LL.D., 
F.  R.  S.,  etc. 

Ex])lanatioii  of  the  plate. 


1.    Introduction. 

Investigation  of  fossU  remains  of  the  oldest  insects  is  nearly  always  extremely  diffi- 
cult and  perplexing,  and  often  very  unsati.sfactory  in  its  results.  The  interest,  however, 
necessarily  attaching  to  the  beginnings  of  life,  warrants  any  labor  that  may  be  expended 
upon  them.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the  fragments  treated  of  in  this  paper,  because 
the;'  are  as  yet  the  only  insect  remains  which  have  been  found  in  rocks  older  than 
the  carboniferous  formation  in  any  part  of  the  world.  The  writer  may  be  pardoned  for 
adding  that  they  possess  a  special  attraction  for  him,  as  among  the  specimens  which 
first  directed  his  particular  attention  to  fossil  insects,  and  he  only  regrets  that  so 
long  a  period  as  fifteen  years  should  have  elapsed  before  their  full  discussion. 

The  remains  consist  entirely  of  broken  wings,  and  were  discovered  in  1862,  by  the 
late  Professor  C.  F.  Hai'tt  (at  the  time  of  his  death  director  of  the  geological  survey 
of  Brazil),  while  searching  for  plant  remains  in  the  devonian  shales  near  St.  John, 
New  Brunswick.  The  locality  —  called  Fern  Ledges  by  Mr.  Ilartt,  from  the  abundance 
of  plant  remains  which  occur  in  the  black  shales  that  are  interstratified  with  the 
prevailing  sandstones  —  is  about  a  mile  west  of  the  town  of  Carleton,  not  far 
from  St.  John.  The  rocks  form  a  series  of  ledges,  exposed  on  the  sea-shore  between 
high  and  low  water  marks.  The  beds  of  sandstone  and  shale,  of  which  they  are 
composed,  have  a  seaward  dip  of  about  45°,  and  a  strike  of  about  W.  10°  N., 
corresponding  very  nearly  to  the  trend  of  the  shore.  The  fossiliferous  shales  between 
the  enclosing  sandstones  are  worn  away  by  the  action  of  the  water,  leaving  the  fossils 
accessible  in  only  a  few  places.  The  whole  deposit  is  of  very  limited  extent ;  it 
reaches  along  the  shore  for  about  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  paces,  exposing  a  thickness 
of  strata  of  about  forty-five  meters,  with  a  width  of  about  ninety  meters. 


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4  SCUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 

The  specimens  discovered  were  six  in  number,  some  of  them  with  their  reverses. 
They  are  now  in  the  museums  of  the  natural  history  societies  of  St.  John,  N.  B. 
and  Boston,  Mass.  I  am  much  indebted  to  Mr.  G.  F.  Matthew,  of  the  former  institution, 
and  to  Professor  A.  Hyatt  of  the  latter,  for  the  opportunity  of  studying  these  specimens 
anew  at  my  leisure. 

The  plan  of  the  present  paper  will  be  seen  by  a  glance  at  the  table  above.  A.s 
the  simpler  devonian  insects,  first  described,  have  certain  special  relations  with  the 
Ephemeridae,  their  description  is  preceded  by  an  account  of  the  wing  structure  of 
the  modern  May-flies,  as  a  basis  of  comparison ;  each  of  the  devonian  species  is  then 
separately  described,  and  its  affinities  discussed,  and  the  whole  is  followed  by  a  general 
summary.  The  stratigraphical  question  being,  in  this  instance,  of  special  importance, 
Principal  Dawson  has  kindly  prepared  for  me  a  statement  of  the  case  with  which 
the  article  closes.^ 

II.    TuE  Structure  of  the  wings   in  Ephemeridae  ;  with   a   note   on  -  a  Jurassic 

SPECIES. 

The  following  statement  considers  mainly  the  direction  and  division  of  each  of  the 
principal  veins,  and  the  comparative  areas  covered  by  them. 

The  marginal  vein  forms  the  costal  border.  The  mediastinal  vein  is  absent  or,  perhaps, 
amalgamated  vith  the  scapular  in  Lachlania,  .Oligoncuria  and  Tricorythus;  in  all 
others  it  is  simple,  and  extends  to,  or  almost  to,  the  tip  of  the  wing,  keeping 
at  a  very  short  and  nearly  uniform  distance  from  the  margin,  with  which  it  is  generally 
connected,  especially  on  the  apical  half  of  the  wing,  by  frequent  cross  veins.  On 
the  basal  half,  the  cross  veins  may  be  as  abundant  as  apically,  but  they  are  generally 
rarer,  "ud  may  be  entirely  absent,  even  when  frequent  apically ;  or  they  may  be  absent 
throughout.  In  very  rare  instances,  as  in  Coloburus,  an  intercalary  vein  may  be 
found  in  the  apical  half  of  the  wing  between  this  vein  and  the  costal  margin. 

The  scapular  vein  is  simple,  and  reaches  the  tip  of  the  wing,  excepting  in  the 
three  genera  mentioned  above,  where  it  may  perhaps  be  said  to  be  amalgamated 
with  the  mediastinal,  as  shown  by  its  ibrking  near  the  middle  of  the  wing  in 
Tricorythus ;  in  Lachlania,  however,  it  terminates  not  at  the  tip,  which  possesses 
only  the  marginal  vein,  but  near  the  middle  of  the  costal  border.  It  is  always 
connected  with  the  vein  below  by  a  greater  or  less  number  of,  usually  many,  cross  veins. 

The  externomedian  vein  is  always  compound,  and  always  covers  at  least  half,  usually 
much  the  greater  part  of  the  wing.  It  always  divides  at  the  very  base,  and  the  upper 
branch  is  always  forked,  while  the  lower  may,  although  rarely,  remain  single,  and  is 
usually  forked  to  a  less  extent  than  the  upper  branch.  Three  is,  therefore,  the 
smallest  number  of   nervules  which  may  reach  the  margin  in  the   area  covered    by 

'Besides  the  vcferenees  given  in  the  bibliography  under  Dawson's  Acadian  Geology,  2d  ed.,  pp.  513-23.  8  vo.  London, 

each   species,  notices  of  the  devonian  insects  will  be  found  1868.  Darwin,  Descent  of  innn,  I,  360.  12iuo.,  London,  1871. 

In    the   i..llowing   places:    Hartt,    on   th'i   Devonian  plant-  Stett.  Ent.   Zeit.,  xxviii,   145-53,  ywMj'm.     Trans.   Eritoin. 

locality  of  the  Fern  Ledges,  Lancaster,  N.  B.,  in  Bailey's  Ob-  Soc.   Lond.,  1871,  38-40.     American  Naturalist  I,  445,  625- 

servations  on  the  Geology  of  Southern  New  Brunswick,  pp.  26.      Proc.    Boston   Soe.    Nat.   Hist.,  X,   96,   X'     150-51. 

131-40.     8vo.,  Fredericton,  1865;  reprinted  in  substance,  in  Memoirs  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.  Ill,  lS-21,  passim. 


INSECTS  OF  NEW  BliUNSWICK.  ( 

the  vein,  and  this  number  we  find  in  Oligoneuria  and,  perlinp.s,  in  Laclilania.  The 
portion  of  the  area  of  this  vein  covered  by  the  upper  branch  and  its  forks  is  almost 
always  greater,  generally  considerably  greater,  than  that  covered  by  the  lower  branch ; 
an  exception  to  this  will  be  found  in  Polymitarcys  where  the  lower  area  is  greater, 
owing  to  unusual  breadth  of  wing  combined  with  narrowness  of  the  area  covered  by 
the  intermedian  vein,  which  has  been  crowded  out  of  nuich  of  its  natural  ground  by 
this  lower  branch.  Some  of  the  allies  of  Polymitarcys,  especially  Asthcnopus  and 
Pentagenia,  also  have  this  area  of  the  lower  branch  larger  than  usual,  although  not 
larger  than  that  of  the  upper  branch,  and  some  other  genera  not  placed  near  it  exhibit 
a  similar  propensity ;  but  as  a  general  thing,  the  area  covered  by  the  lower  is  scarcely 
more  than  half  as  large  as  that  covered  by  the  upper  branch,  and  not  infre(iuently  it  is 
less  than  one  third  its  extent.  The  upper  branch  usually  forks  close  to  the  base, 
occasionally  at  the  very  base,  and  sometimes  the  upper  of  the  forks  is  amalgamated 
at  the  base  with  the  scapular  vein,  as  in  Asthenopus,  Tricorythus  and  Chloeon,  and 
to  a  certain  extent  in  Coenis,  so  as  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  originating  from  that 
vein,  and  of  complete  independence  of  the  externomedian ;  whether  thus  severed  from  its 
connections,  or  plainly  arising  from  the  externomedian  root,  this  upper  fork  of  the  upper 
branch  runs  in  proximity  to  the  scapular  vein,  parallel  or  subparallel  to  it,  and,  excepting 
where  the  venation  is  occasionally  simple  (as  in  Oligoneuria,  &c.),  always  emits  from  its 
lower  surface  in  the  central  portion  of  the  wing  one,  two,  or  three  nervules ;  the  first 
and  second  of  these  nervules  are  usually  pretty  near  together  at  base,  but  all  generally 
reach  the  border  at  unequal  distances  apart,  the  inequality  being  made  good  by 
intercalary  longitudinal  nervules ;  these  intercalary  nervules  often  curve  at  their  inner 
extremities  toward  or  to  one  or  another  of  the  adjoining  nervules,  assuming  then  the 
appearance  of  regular  branches,  while  the  nervules  proper  are  themselves  oftener 
detached  from  their  base ;  so  that  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  tell  whether  a  given  vein 
should  be  considered  normal  or  intercalary.  The  lower  fork  of  the  upper  branch  is 
occasionally  simple,  as  in  the  Tricorythus,  but  usually  forks  once  at  about  the  middle 
of  its  course,  rarely  near  the  base,  and  very  frequently  encloses  an  intercalary  nervule 
between  these  branches,  but  no  intercalary  nervules  (excepting  such  as  often  break 
up  the  extreme  margin  into  an  irregular  meshwork  of  veins)  ever  intervene  between  the 
upper  nervule  of  this  fork  and  the  lower  nervule  of  the  upper  fork,  nor  between  its 
lower  nervule  and  the  upper  nervule  of  the  lower  branch  of  the  externomedian  vein, 
excepting  in  the  rare  instances  where  this  lower  nervule  is  detached  from  its  base,  and 
takes  on  the  form  of  an  intercalary  nervule. 

This  lower  branch,  as  has  been  said,  is  usually  forked  to  a  less  extent  than  the  upper 
branch,  but  a  conspicuous  exception  is  found  in  Polymitarcys  where  the  branch  is  made  up 
of  a  large  number  of  sub-convergent  simple  rays,  directed  from  the  outer  margin 
toAvard  various  parts  of  the  upper  internomedian  nervule,  but  generally  lost  before  reaching 
it.  In  general,  however,  its  area  is  only  about  half  that  of  the  upper  branch  ;  it  usually 
forks  close  to  the  base,  and  each  or  either  of  its  branches  may  again  subdivide  once ;  all  other 
nervules  in  the  area  are  sure  to  be  intercalary ;  where  it  forks  only  once  there  is  usually 
a  single  intercalary  nervure  midway  between  the  branches,  which  seems  to  belong  to  one 
or  the  other  of  them  and  to  represent  its  fork  ;  while  between  it  and  either  branch  there 


6 


SCUDDEIl  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


11 


r  '  ■ 


i  i         ! 


may  bo  other  shorter  intercalarioH ;  the  only  exception  to  this  general  Htatement  is  the 
case  of  Polymitarcys  already  cited,  where  after  division  at  the  bawe  the  upper  fork  must 
be  looked  upon  as  breaking  up  at  once  into  three  rays,  while  the  lower  severed  from  its 
connections  breaks  up  similarly  into  a  couple  of  forked  rays ;  the  an)ount  of  abnormal 
divergence  in  this  case  may  be  better  seen,  hy  stating  that  it  is  the  only  genus  of  Ephem- 
erida)  in  which  this  area  is  ctirried  around  the  lower  outer  angle  of  the  wing ;  in  all  others 
it  stops  short  of,  usually  far  short  of  this  angle ;  here  it  reaches  around  it  half  way  along 
the  anal  margin.  The  genus  agrees,  however,  with  all  the  others  in  that  all  the  branch- 
ing occurs  in  the  basal  half  of  the  area.  In  Oligoneuria  and  Lachlania  the  branch  is 
simple  and  undivided,  unlers  the  apparent  branch  in  the  latter  should  be  looked  upon  as 
such,  and  not  as  a  cross  nervurc,  like  the  more  directly  transverse  veins  above  it. 

The  area  of  the  internomedian  vein  is  never  gt-eat,  although  always  more  extensive  than 
that  of  any  other  vein  but  the  externomedian,  and  it  always  includes  the  lower  outer 
angle  of  the  wing,  excepting  as  above  specified  in  Polymitarcys,  and  excepting  also  in 
the  full-angled  Tricorythus,  where  the  anal  area  disputes  its  sway.  Its  construction  is  gen- 
erally similar  to  that  of  the  lower  branch  of  the  extermomedian  vein,  although  from  the 
fonn  of  the  area  covered  by  it,  its  absolute  appearance  is  very  different ;  moreover,  one 
rarely  finds  in  it  any  intercalary  ncrvures,  excepting  such  as  sometimes  line  the 
exti'cme  border,  the  smaller  nervures  almost  always  originating  from  the  main  stems ; 
the  exceptions  are  found  in  Leptophlebia,  Cloeon,  and  Baetis.  The  vein  almost  invariably 
forks  at  its  extreme  base,  and  from  the  upper  of  il  esc  branches  sends  either,  rarely,  a 
single  shoot,  or,  much  more  frequently,  a  half  a  dozen,  occasionally  a  dozen  simple  or  forked 
shoots  to  the  margin.  In  the  interesting  fossil  described  in  the  note  at  the  end  of  this 
section  these  shoots  appear  to  originate  from  the  lower  branch,  the  upper  remaining 
simple,  just  as  rarely  occiirs  in  living  forms  as  e.  g.,  in  some  species  of  Leptophlebia. 

The  anal  vein  invariably  plays  an  insignificant  part,  and  is  apparently  sometimes  want- 
ing. Its  area  seldom  reaches  even  half  way  along  the  anal  margin,  but  in  Tricorythus  it 
extends  even  around  the  lowei  outer  angle,  fai)'ly  upon  the  outer  margin.  Here  it  ia 
composed  of  a  single  vein  with  three  or  four  short  but  widely  divergent  branches ;  usually 
it  is  forked  at  the  base,  and  occasionally  one  or  the  other  of  these  forks  imitates  the  rayed 
branch  of  the  internomedian  by  sending  a  number  of  parallel  branches,  often  closely 
crowded,  to  the  margin. 

This  account  of  the  neuration  of  the  Ephemeridae  is  based  upon  much  more  extended 
material,  and  a  longer  study  than  that  formerly  given  by  me  in  my  first  quarto  paper  on 
fossil  neuroptera,  and  corrects  it  in  several  important  particulars,  especially  in  the  account 
of  the  internomedian  vein,  which  was  eroneously  stated  to  be  simple  ^  and  in  the  fuller 
statement  of  the  divisions  of  the  externomedian  vein. 


¥ 


Note  on  a  Jurassic  May -fly. 

JBexagenites  Weyenherghii,  gen.  et  sp.  nov.: — A  fragment  of  a  wing  only  is  preserved,  in 
which  the  entire  costal  area  and  base  are  wanting.    The  neuration  of  the  parts  that  remain 

*  This  statement  was  evidently  the   resi;lt  of  some  over-      same  memoir  it  was  remarked  that  the  internon\edian  vein 
Bight,  since  in  the  digest  given  on  a  subsequent  page  of  the      was  "  similar  in  character  to  the  vena  exiernomedia." 


INSECTS  OF   NEW  BUUNSWICK. 


is  perfect  and  indicate  an  insect  wlioso  alar  expanse  was  nearly  45  mm.,  and  which  is  moHt 
nearly  related  to  Ilexagenia ;  the  first  ii.i'erfor  nervule  of  the  upper  fork  of  the  upper 
branch  of  the  externioinedian  vein  '•.*  thrown  off  sonic  way  before  the  mid<]le  of  the  wing; 
the  lower  branch  forks  at  some  distiiiice  l)eyon(l  the  middle  of  its  course,  and  encloscH 
between  its  branches  a  uingle  intercalary  nervule  which  extends  nearly  to  the  widely 
spreading  fork.  At  a  short  distance  from  the  base  of  the  wing  the  lower  branch  of  the 
externomedian  vein  has  divided  into  three  branches,  the  middle  one  nearer  the  upper  than 
the  lower,  all  of  which  continue  undivided  to  the  margin ;  two  intercalary  nervurcs  of 
unequal  length  occur  in  each  of  these  interspaco«,  extending  almost  half  way  to  the  base 
in  the  lower  interspace,  besides  many  short  ones  near  the  margin;  the  lowest  of  these 
branches  is  considerably  curved  and  subparallel  to  the  inner  margin.  The  internomedian 
vein  probably  divides  at  the  very  base  into  two  branches,  the  upper  of  which  is  simple, 
runs  subparallel  to  the  lowest  externomedian  nervule,  striking  the  angle  of  the  wing, 
while  the  other  branch  is  in  close  proximity  to  it  and  throws  off  a  large  number  of  sin- 
uous simple  branches  to  the  anal  margin,  in  doing  which  its  outer  half  follows  an  irreg- 
ular course  by  a  slight  change  of  direction  with  each  emission.  The  cross-veins  are  mod- 
erately frequent  and  subuniform  throughout  the  portion  of  the  wing  which  is  preserved 
excepting  in  the  internomedian  area,  and  the  border  is  much  broken  by  intercalary  nerv- 
uies  into  cells  which  are  quadrate  and  generally  much  longer  than  broad.  The  anal 
area  must  be  very  contracted  and  the  form  of  the  wing  closely  resembles  that  of  Ilexa- 
genia. 

The  specimen  is  from  Solenhofen,  and  is  in  the  British  Museum.  The  description  is 
drawn  up  from  a  very  clear  sketch  magnified  7  diameters,  taken  with  the  camera  and  pub- 
lished by  Rev.  Mr.  Eaton  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Entomological  Society  of  London, 
1871.  PI.  1,  fig.  10.  The  species  is  dedicated  to  my  friend  Dr.  Weyenbergh,  of  Cordoba, 
who  has  done  so  much  in  increasing  our  knowledge  of  the  Jurassic  insect  fauna  of  Bavaria. 

III.       PLA.TEP1IK.VIE1U   AKTIQUA.       PI.    1,    flg.S.    5,    9,     10. 

Platephemera  antiqua  Scudd.,  Can.  nat.,  (n.  s.)  iii,  205,  fig.  2  (1867) ; — Id.*  Geol.  mag., 
IV,  387,  pi.  17,  fig.  2  (1867);— Ib.,  Dawson,  Acad.  Geol.,  2d  ed.,  524,  iig.  181(1868);  — 
Ib.,  Amer.  nat.,  i,  630,  pi.  16,  fig.  3  (1868);  — Ib.,  Geol.  mag.,  v,  173,  175-76  (1868);  — 
Pack.,  Guide  ins.,  77-78,  pi.  1,  fig.  3  (186'J) ;  — Nichols.,  Man.  pal.,  185,  fig.  128 
(1872);  — Ib.,  Anc.  life  hist,  earth,  145,  fig.  8'J  (1877) ; —  Dana,  Man.  geol,  2d  ed.,  273, 
fig.  550  A  (1874) ;  — RoEM.,  Leth.  geogn.,  pi.  31,  fig.  l)  (1876). 

Mentioned  without  name,  as  the  first  species,  in  my  letter  [o  Mr.  Hartt  on  the  Devonian 
Insects  of  New  Brunswick  (1865); — Bailey,  Obs.  geol.  south.  New  Bruasw.,  140 
(1865);  — Amer.  journ.  sc.,(2)  xxxix,  357  (1865) ;  — Can.  nat.,  (n.  s.)  ii,  23  (1865);  — 
Trans,  entom.  soc.  Lond.,  (3)  ii,  117  (1865).  See  also  Amer.  journ.  sc,  (2)  XL,  277 
(1865). 

The  wing  was  ample  (whence  the  generic  name)  and  gigantic.  Probably  a  third  of 
the  wing  is  wanting  at  the  base,  besides  the  greater  part  of  the  extreme  outer  edge,  but 
the  fragment  preserved  enables  us  to  judge,  probably  with  considerable  accuracy,  both 
the  general  structure  and,  by  the  direction  of  the  nervules  and  of  the  marguis,  the  general 


'  1 


B 


8 


HCUDDEIl  ON  TIIK  DEVONIAN 


form  of  the  winj?,  wliich  is  pri'suinod  lo  bo  iinu^h  iih  outlined  on  iho  plate.  The  wintr 
wuH  prohahly  nioro  tliiin  00  inin.  in  Icnj^fli,  nnd  about  27  nun.  in  briMidth  ;  the  alar 
expnnso  'vas  tluTofort'  at  least  125  mm.,  and  .)robal)ly  l.'J-i  nun.,  and  tlio  two  tigurcH 
have  been  ho  placed  nn  to  indicate  thi.s  expanse. 

This  is  more  than  double  the  ordinary  ni/.e  of  the  lurj^er  Ephemeridao  and  the  larj^est 
mentioned  in  Eaton'H  paper  on  these  insectH  has  un  expanse  of  only  78  mm.,  and  the 
largest  of  the  jura-ssic  species  only  05  mm. 

The  costal  margin  is  very  gently  arcuate ;  the  apex  probably  some\vhat  pointed,  toward 
which  the  upper  veins  are  directed  wiUiout  additional  arcuation;  the  greatest  breadth 
was  probably  a  little  before  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  the  outer  perhaps  half  as  long 
again  as  the  anal  margin.  The  marginal  vein  runs  close  to  b'lt  does  not  form  the  margin 
of  the  wing,  the  latter  being  indicated  in  the  llgures  on   the   plate  by  a  dotted  line. 

The  mediastinal  vein  runs  as  clowe  as  possible  to  the  margin,  and  is  not  connected  with 
it  by  cross  veins ;  these  two  veins  apparently  run  side  by  side  to  the  apex,  when  the 
marginal  disappears  and  the  mediastinal  takes  its  place  close  to  the  border.  The  scapular 
vein  runs  sub-parallel  to  the  mediastinal,  but  at  double  the  distance  fnuu  it  apically  as 
basally,  the  change  occurring  rather  abruptly  near  the  middle  of  the  preserved  portion  of 
the  wing ;  it  is  connected  with  the  vein  above  by  straight  cross-veins  at  tolerably  regular, 
rather  frequent  intervals. 

As  usual  in  this  family,  the  externomedian  vein  Is  apparently  divided,  probably  not  far 
from,  or  at  the  base,  into  two  stems,  and  the  upper  of  these  stems  is  again  divided,  prob- 
ably at  some  distance  from  the  base,  into  two  principal  branches ;  the  nuiin  portion  of  the 
upper  branch  runs  parallel  to,  b  't  somewhat  distant  from  the  scapular  vein,  approaching 
it,  however,  apically,  and  is  everywhere  connected  with  it  by  cross-veins,  very  much  as  in 
the  mediastino-scapular  interspace;  it  throws  off  from  its  inferior  surface  several  inequi- 
distant  feeble  offshoots ;  the  first  originate  a  little  before  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and 
run  irregularly  but  with  a  gentle  downward  curve  to  the  outer  nuirgin  ;  they  have  between 
them  and  between  the  outermost  and  the  main  branch  a  number  of  equally  irregular 
intercalary  nervules,  all  of  which  are  connected  together  by  cross-veins,  and  thus  form 
over  the  whole  area  a  mesh  work  of  irregular  but  usually  hexagonal  and  longitudinally 
elongated  cells,  making  it  impossible  to  distinguish  between  normal  and  intercalary  veins, 
since  tin  latter  are  as  prominent  as  the  former,  and  invariably  arise  from  cross-veins ; 
while  whatever  nervules  lie  next  the  main  branch  are  united  with  it  by  frequent  and, 
equally  irregular  cros.s-veins  falling  from  the  main  branch  quite  in  the  manner  of  the  off- 
shoots proper,  and  forming  cells  only  slightly  larger  than  the  others,  although  genei'ally 
transversely  elongated ;  together  there  are  about  nine  rows  of  cells  between  the  main 
upper  branch  and  its  first  offshoot.  The  lower  branch  of  the  upper  stem  is  simple  and, 
originating  apparently  near  the  middle  of  the  basal  half  of  the  wing,  diverges  at  first 
slightly  from  the  upper  branch,  afterwards  a  little  more  rapidly,  and  in  its  apical  fourth 
curves  downward  considerably,  and  is  somewhat  irregular  in  its  course;  its  direction  is  in 
general  parallel  to  the  offshoots,  and  especially  the  nearer  offshoots  of  the  upper  branch, 
and  on  the  border  it  is  separated  from  the  apex  of  the  upper  branch  by  nearly  one-third 
of  the  outer  margin  of  the  wing ;  in  its  simplicity  this  branch  resembles  the  same  nervure 
in  Tricorythus,  which  is  peculiar  in  this  particular  among  modern  Ephemeiiuue.     As  in 


INSECTS   OF  NEW   nniTNSWICK. 


modern  Epheinoridm  gonorally,  there  in  no  intercaliiry  lU'rviilo  hetweon  tluH  lower 
bramili  of  tlij  uppjr  exturiinnxliiiii  Hfc.«in  an  I  tim  I'liMt  ofTdiDot  ol  tliu  lovv^sr  bramih,  but 
th'n  intorHpiico  is  (llluJ  vvitli  simple  an;l  freqiiunt  eroH  voim. 

The  lower  exlornoinedian  stein  is  apparently  fonii j  1  on  tim  samii  plan  a^  i]v)  upper,  n 
feature  which  appears  to  have  no  couuterpirt  am  )u^  living  K,>Iu!:ii  iriliu  ;  app:ireutly  it 
is  composed,  like  the  upp^r,  of  two  primary  branches,  whicdi  seem  to  part  from  vnv.h  other 
very  nearly  at  the  same  consideriil)lodistan(!e  fruu  the  base,  (about  one-third  the  distance  to 
the  margin),  n  feature  uticommon  but  not  nnknowu  in  living  Fjp'ium  srid  lu ;  but  in^t.iiid  of 
having  a  single  independent  intercalary  or  „vvo  butweeu  tlu  forks,  it  h  is  suveral  olTHlio;)ts 
which  depend  from  the  upper  branch,  junt  as  the  off  (hoots  of  tlu  nppjr  braiio'i  of  t!io 
upper  stem  do,  while  between  them  in  the  outer  half  of  their  course  other  inturcalaries 
arise,  depending  from  angular  cross  veins  —  the  whole  uiiitjd  by  frj  i uiifc  croii  vjiuH 
(again  as  in  the  upper  area),  to  form  a  mesh-work  of  irregular  colls  guurally  puiitigon  d, 
r.lthough  not  often  longitudinal ;  there  are  tlun  in;;lu;L'il  b^twj'jn  time  forks  i»").).it  six 
rows  of  cells.  The  interspaces  directly  adjoining  oitlur  oiib  of  tlu  lovvor  brauj'i  of  tlu 
upper  externonicdian  stem  are  slightly  widor  than  the  interspaces  butwuon  the  njrvulos  in 
the  area  of  the  lower  externomedian  stem,  possess  no  intercalarios,  and  are  dividul  by 
Jrequent  cross  veins.  The  lower  branch  of  the  lower  extornomu  lian  stem  aNo  c;irvm 
downward  at  the  tip,  like  the  lower  branch  of  t\m  upper  stem ;  tin  area  of  thj  lovvjr 
externomedian  stem  repeats,  therefore,  and  on  only  a  little  smaller  scale,  the  structure  of 
the  area  of  the  upper  stem,  instead  of  exhibiting,  as  in  recent  forms,  distinctive  features. 

That  portion  of  the  fragment  of  the  wing  lying  below  what  we  have  hero  considered 
the  lower  simple  branch  of  the  lower  externomedian  stem,  and  which  is  shown  in  fig.  10 
and  not  in  fig.  9,  is  so  fragmentary  and  so  separated  from  it-i  basal  connections  that  it  ia 
dilHcult  to  decide  to  what  area  of  the  wing  it  belongs;  it  con-iists  of  four  rows  of  cells 
separated  by  curving  nervules  a  little  more  uniform  in  thair  course  than  the  minor 
nervule.«  above,  with  .slightly  less  frequent  cro'is  veini ;  tlie  cells  buing  slightly  larger  and 
more  regular,  frequently  quadrangular  and  usually  longitudinal ;  tliis  field  belongs  of  course 
either  to  the  externomedian  or  the  internomedian  area.  The  general  similarity  of  the 
structure  of  the  fields  would  lead  one  at  first  to  suppose  it  to  belong  to  the  externomedian 
area,  in  which  case  of  course  our  description  of  the  lower  stum  and  its  branches  should  bt 
modified  to  receive  it.  As,  too,  the  form  of  the  fra,giuont  would  indicate  that  a  very 
considerable  part  of  the  region  about  the  anal  angle  is  lost,  the  reference  of  this  field  to 
the  internomedian  area  would  give  that  area  a  very  great  and  very  unusual  preponderance 
in  the  wing.  But  its  reference  to  the  externamedian  area,  which  is  certainly  possible, 
would  involve  quite  as  great  an  anomaly  ;  for  in  that  case  the  lower  externomedian  stem 
must  be  supposed  to  consist  of  two  branches,  the  lower  lying  beyond  the  present 
fragment  and  probab'y  simple,  the  upper  forked  and  reproducing  on  a  smaller  scale  the 
whole  of  the  upper  exteraome  Jian  stem,  including  the  minor  offshoots  depending  from  the 
uppermost  branch  of  each.  In  this  case  the  area  of  the  lower  stem  would  exceed  that  of 
the  upper,  which  occurs  in  very  rare  instances  in  modern  Ephemerid.ie  and  then  only  by 
crowding  out  of  room  the  lowjr  areas,  which  the  probable  wide  expanse  of  this  wing  would 
not  allow  unless  this  lower  area  is  of  an  exceedingly  disproportionate  size.  The 
translation  of  the  facts  which  I  have  offered  in  my  description,  on  the  other  hand,  while  it 


1-! 


!|i 


1  !i 


t' 


I  1(1 

'  I" 


10 


SCUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


requires  a  very  iiniieual  dnvolof  rrent  of  the  iniernonie'^inn  area,  leaves  the  lower  externo- 
medinn  field  m  its  usual  proportionate  extent  as  compared  to  the  upper  field,  and  is 
further  supported  by  several  considerations:  chief y  by  the  probabilit)'  that  where 
repetitions  of  structure  are  found — a  mark  of  simplicity  much  more  common  among 
ancient  than  among  rectut  ins-etis  —  they  are  far  more  apt  to  occur  between  repetitive 
parts  than  between  those  which  may  not  be  so  exactly  compared.  On  the  hypothesis 
sustained  above,  this  repetition  occurs  in  the  iields  embraced  between  the  two  similarly 
disposed  sets  of  branches  into  which  one  veiii  is  divided.  On  the  other  suggested  (and 
apparently  the  ouly  alternative,  for  the  open  interspaces  on  either  side  of  the  lower  branch 
of  the  upper  exvemomedinn  stem  seem  to  fix  that  nervule  unquestionably)  the  repetition 
would  be  between  the  whole  of  one  set  of  brtinches  of  this  vein,  and  one  portion  only  of 
the  two  of  which  the  other  set  of  that  vein  is  composed.  Other  arguments  may  be 
advanced  from  the  character  both  of  the  nervules  nnd  of  the  cells  formed  by  them  and  the 
cross  veins,  which  differ  slightly  fro.  i  those  in  the  field  next  above,  a  difference  greater  both  in 
extent  and  in  nature  than  that  existing  between  what  we  have  considered  the  upper  and 
the  lower  externomedian  fields.  Further  than  this,  the  slight  change  of  direction  in  the 
course  of  the  outer  miirgin,  resulting  in  a  slight  emargination  of  this  border  of  the  wing, 
although  apparently  not  found  at  all  in  living  Epheiueridae,  would  be  far  more  likely  to 
occur,  does  far  more  frequently  occur  in  other  insects,  between  two  adjoining  areas  than 
in  the  middle  or  other  part  of  one. 

Considering  then  the  field  under  di-scusaion  as  belonging  to  the  intcrnomedian  area,  we 
must  describe  this  as  plainly  of  very  unusual  extent,  and  as  filled  as  it  never  is  in  living 
types  with  a  laige  number  of  intercalary  nervules. 

It  may  be  remarked  that  none  of  the  many  intercalaries  in  this  wing  arise  indepen- 
dently, and  that  they  are  not  more  abundant  at  the  extreme  outer  edge  of  the  wing,  as 
is  frequently  the  case  in  modern  types.  The  former  feature  is  the  more  noteworthy,  as 
the  independent  origin  cf  the  intercalary  veins  in  Ephemeridae  would  naturally  be 
taken  aa  a  mark  of  inferior  organization ;  and  yet  it  does  not  occur  in  this  oldest  member 
of  the  group,  nor  yet  in  the  Jurassic  species  from  Solenhofen,  described  on  a  previous 
page;  in  this  last,  however,  the  edge  of  the  wing  is  more  broken  by  intercalaries  than 
the  parts  removed  from  it. 

The  length  of  the  fragment  preserved  is  42  mm.  and  its  greatest  breadth,  25.5  mm. 

The  points  in  which  this  insect  presents  the  most  sti'king  differences  from  modern 
♦ypes,  and  upon  which  we  would  establish  the  genus  Platephemera,  are  :  the  very  similar 
instead  of  distinctive  structure  of  *he  framework  of  the  two  sets  of  branches  of  the 
externomedian  vein,  and  of  the  respective  areas  included  between  them ;  the  excessive 
number  of  the  intercalaries  in  the  area  included  between  the  lower  set  of  externomedian 
branches,  and  their  attachment  (in  the  apical  half  of  the  wing)  to  the  upper  of  these 
branches  —  from  which  the  previously  mentioned  peculiar  feature  mainly  depends ;  the 
simplicity  of  the  lower  branch  of  the  upper  externomedian  stem  in  an  unusually  ramose 
wing :  the  unusual  extent  of  the  intcrnomedian  area  and  its  rich  supply  of  intercalaries  ; 
the  density  and  polygonal  form  of  the  cells  formed  by  the  cross  veins  below  the  upper 
externomedian  vein ;  the  emargination  of  the  outer  border ;  and  finally  the  vast 
dimensions  of  the  wing. 


n 


t;^  .  I 


INSECTS  OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK, 


11 


If  W3  Ic  jk  to  other  early  types  for  sposies  akin  to  this  we  shall  find  a  whole  group  of 
carboniferous  insects  with  reticulated  wings,  to  which  this  is  evidently  related.  To  this 
belong  those  forms  to  which  the  generic  names  DIctyoneura  and  Breyeria  have  been  given 
in  the  old  world,  and  Paolia  and  Haplophlebium  in  the  new.  Several  new  forms,  as  yet 
unpublished,  are  known  to  me  from  th.^  American  carboniferous  rocks.  In  all  these 
genera,  but  especially  in  DIctyoneura  anl  Haplophlebium  (wiiich  perhaps  should  not  be 
separated  from  each  other),  the  wing  is  very  much  larger  and  slenlerer  (like  a  dragon-fly's 
wing)  than  the  fragment  of  tins  devonian  wing  will  allow  us  to  suppose  it  to  be.  As  in 
these  wings,  the  mediastinal  vein  is  present,  and  usually  runs  into  the  marginal  at  some 
distance  from  the  tip  of  the  wing,  and  the  general  relation  of  the  principal  veins  is  sim- 
ilar in  all ;  in  none  of  the  others,  however,  do  we  find  so  distinct  a  meshwork  of  sub- 
ordinate veins,  nor  can  they  be  resolved  as  here  into  sets  dcpe.iding  from  the  two  prin- 
cipal branches  of  the  externomedian  vein.  So  that  while  a  general  similarity  of  structure 
may  be  conceded,  there  is  no  occasion  for  considering  the  insects  as  closely  affiliated. 

The  distinction  between  Platephemera  and  Gerephemera  will  be  pointed  out  in  treating 
of  the  latter  insect. 

This  insect  com  from  plant-bed  No.  7  of  Professor  Hartt,  and  was  the  only  insect 
found  at  that  horiz;  j. 

In  his  "  Monograph  on  the  Ephemeridae,"^  Rev.  Mr.  Eaton  treats  of  the  fossil  species 
which  have  been  referred  by  one  and  another  author  to  this  family,  in  a  very  summary 
manner,*  asserting  that :  "  when  a  fossil  comprises  only  a  fragment,  or  even  a  complete  wing 
of  an  Ephemerid,  it  is  ha  'dly  possible  to  determine  the  genus,  and  impossible  to  assert  the 
species.  The  utmost  that  can  be  learned  from  such  a  specimen  is  the  approximate 
relations  of  the  insect.  Neuration  by  itself  is  not  sufficient  to  define  the  species  or  even 
the  genera  of  recent  Ephemeridae." 

While  we  should  not  wish  to  deny  the  claims  of  Mr.  Eaton  to  a  profound  knowledge  of 
the  structure  of  the  Ephemeridae,  we  venture  to  doubt  if  he  would  assert  that  there  are 
not  features  in  the  wing  structure  of  somv.^  genera  not  fo  md  in  others,  and  which  are, 
therefore,  in  so  far  characteristic  of  those  genera;  and  it  might  be  worth  while  to  consider 
whether  a  careful  study  of  such  differences  would  not  reveal  some  further  differences 
not  discernible  upon  a  cursory  examination.  One  should  be  slow  to  hazard  sweeping 
statements  of  a  negative  character;  and  after  all,  it  may  be  enquired,  what  more  is  desired, 
or  at  least  expected,  than  "  the  approximate  relations  of  an  insect "  found  fossil  in  the 
older  rocks.  That  is  precisely  the  aim  of  palaeontology  the  world  over  ;  and  those  who 
discourage  efforts  to  discover  these  relations  are  simply  bidding  us  close  one  of  the  vol- 
umes of  the  book  of  life,  quite  as  valuable  as  that  they  study. 

In  further  comment?  in  the  same  place,  Mr.  Eaton  asserts  of  the  insects  of  the  Devo- 
nian discussed  in   this  paper,  that  "they  have  all  been  regarded  as  allies  of  the  Ephemer- 


» Trans.  Entom.  Soc.  Lond.,  1871,  .S8-40. 

'  Tliu  luanner  in  which  Mr.  Eaton  ha8  confounded  names 
'n  this  Bevtion  of  bis  work  is  pretty  fair  evidence  tliat  he 
has  not  given  the  papers  he  quotes  that  close  attention 
which  would  entitle  him   to  use  the  languajre  of  ridicule 


toward  their  authors.  In  the  three  pages  he  devotes  to  this 
to]'ie,  DyscrituB  is  twice  given  as  "  Dyscrltius  ";  articuintus 
twice  as  "  anliquoruin  ";  oucideatalis  once  as  "  Brownsoni  "; 
Bronsoni  twice  as  "  Brownsoni  "  ;  Duna  twica  as  "  Scud- 
der  "  ;  Scudder  six  times  as  "Dawson." 


m 


SCUDDER  ON  THE   DEVONIAN 


idae,"  I  do  not  know  by  whom;  certainly  not  by  myself,  who  first  described 
them.  Platephemera  he  says,  may  possibly  belong  to  the  Ephemeridae,  "  but  there 
is  nothing  in  the  figures  to  make  this  certaiii."  The  better  figures  published  with 
this  should  be  sufficient  proof  that  Platephemera  belongs  where  I  originally  placed 
it.  The  neuration  agrees  in  all  essential  features  with  that  family,  and  indeed, 
considering  the  antiquity  of  the  creature,  shows  marvellously  little  divergence  from  existing 
types.  And  althoi  gh  Mr.  Eaton  has  nothing  to  say  of  the  wing  structure  of  the  Ephem- 
eridae as  a  whole,  in  distinction  from  that  of  other  neuropterous  families,  I  can  hardly 
believe  that  any  one  who  has  studied  it  from  the  stanflpoint  of  the  substtmtial  unity  of 
wing  structure  in  all  insects,  could  fail  to  discover  tha  c  the  Ephemeridae  have  a  special 
development  of  wing  neuration  distinct  from  all  others,  permitting  formulation,  and  to 
which  Platephemera  conforms  to  so  close  an  extent,  that  until  we  have  further  light  by  the 
discovery  of  more  complete  remains  we  are  amply  justified  in  considering  it  as  an  antique 
type  of  Ephemeridae. 


it- 


Uym 


IV.    Gerephemeba  simplex,    pi.  1,  figs.  8,  8a. 

Ger3phemera  simplex  Scudd.,  Geoi.  mag.,  v,  174-75  (1868). 

Mentioned  without  name,  as  the  fourth  species,  in  my  letter  to  Mr.  Hartt :  On  the 
devonian  insects  of  New  Brunswick,  p.  1 ;  Bailey,  Obs.  geol.  south.  New  Br.,  140 ;  Amer. 
journ.  sc,  (2)  xxxis,  357  ;  Can.  nat,  (n.  s.)  ii,  235 ;  Trans.  Ent.  Soc.  Lond.,  (3)  ii,  117  — 
all  in  1865. 

lit  the  specimen  and  reverse  as  first  seen  by  me,  scarcely  more  could  be  said  of  this 
insect  than  the  brief  notice  already  published  ;  nothing  appeared  but  a  slight  fragmeiit  of 
the  tip  of  a  wing,  and  this  would  not  have  been  dignified  by  a  name  had  not  the  extreme 
interest  attaching  to  fossil  insects  from  the  horizon  at  which  it  occurred  seemed  to  demand 
it.  The  portion  preserved  was  the  upper  half  of  the  outer  border  with  the  extremities 
of  the  veins  impinging  upon  it,  and  two  of  the  principal  veins  near  the  tip  of  the  costal 
margin  ;  these  two  veins  are  as  usual  in  the  Ephemeridae  and  probably  represent  the  mar- 
ginal and  mediastinal  (or  scapular),  and  show  that  the  latter  reached  the  border  scarcely 
above  the  tip  of  the  wing. 

Since  my  first  excmination,  however,  Mr.  G.  F.  Matthew  has  worked  out  a  considerable 
part  of  the  wing  en  one  of  the  stones  belonging  to  the  St.  John  Society,  which,  though 
very  different  in  certain  parts  from  what  would  have  been  anticipated  from  the  portion 
first  exposed,  bears  out  in  a  measure  the  statement  that  was  hazarded  concerning  it, 
although  it  proves  that  the  generic  name  chosen  was  unfortunate.  In  this  removal  of 
the  stone  from  the  surface  of  the  wing,  a  fragment  of  the  tip  with  its  two  veins  was 
flaked  oflf;  but  as  careful  drawings  had  been  taken  of  it,  I  have  replaced  the  two  lines 
indicating  the  veins  mentioned  above  upon  the  drawing  made  of  the  wing  as  it  now 
appears.  This  gives  us  indeed  a  much  better  clue  to  the  probable  form  of  the  wing  than 
we  could  possibly  otherwise  have,  for  the  considerable  and  constantly  increasing  diver- 
gence of  the  upper  and  lower  veins  of  the  continuous  portion  of  the  fragment  leave  a 
very  strange  eflect ;  £y;id,  without  the  aid  these  two  vein-tips  furnish,  leave  the  form  of  the 
apex  of  the  wing  decidedly  problematical. 


i. 


:i  '■ 


INSECTS  OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


13 


The  wing  is  that  of  a  very  large  insect,  the  fragment,  which  reaches  neither  base  nor 
tip,  being  60  mm.  long,  and  rendering  it  probable  that  the  alar  expanse  was  at  least  150 
mm.  and  more  probably  1'5  mm.  The  apex  of  the  wing  was  pointed,  the  costal  and  outer 
margin  probably  meeting  at  a  rounded  angle  of  about  GU°.  The  costal  margin  must  have 
been  /ery  strongly  arched  near  the  middle  of  the  apical  half,  while  the  apical  part  of  the 
outer  border  is  nearly  straight.  The  wing  was  probably  elongated,  not  very  broadly 
expanded  in  proportion  to  its  length,  as  I  at  first  presumed  from  not  having  counted  on 
such  an  extended  development  toward  the  base.  In  the  middle  of  the  outer  half  of  the 
wing  the  width  is  about  23  mm.,  and  from  the  course  of  the  fragments  of  the  two  borders 
it  is  probable  that  the  width  nowhere  exceeded  25  mm.  or  about  two-sevenths  the  length  of 
the  wing.  The  fragment  preserved  contains  considerably  less  than  half  the  area  of  the  wing 
comprising  most  of  the  central  portions.  The  whole  anal  area  is  lost  as  well  as  what  is 
apparently  most  or  all  of  the  intemomedian  area,  extending  far  along  the  outer  margin  ; 
the  merest  fragment  of  the  costal  border,  2-3  mm.  lon;;^,  is  preserved,  apparently  about 
the  middle  of  the  wing ;  the  tip  of  the  wing  and  outer  half  of  the  costal  margin  are 
broken  awpy,  but  a  couple  of  veins  at  the  tip  are  supplied,  as  already  stated,  from  a  piece 
that  was  accidentally  removed.  This  irregular  fragment,  extending  diagonally  across  the 
outer  half  of  the  wing,  with  a  basal  extension  along  the  middle  line,  is  traversed  by 
principal  nervures  bound  together  by  a  net  work  of  mostly  very  irregular  and  very  feeble, 
occasionally  more  regular  and  distinct  cross  veins,  forming  irrsgular,  mostly  longitudinal, 
unequal,  polygonal,  rarely  quadrangular  cells.  The  veins  may  be  grouped  into  an  upper 
set  of  parallel,  equidistant  and  rather  approximate,  nearly  straight,  slightly  upcurved 
nervures,  three  or  four  in  number,  traceable  only  near  the  middle  of  the  wing ;  and  a  lower 
set  of  two,  traceable  throughout  the  apical  half  of  the  wing  and  extending  nearly  half  way 
from  the  middle  to  the  base  ;  these  are  parallel,  more  distant,  directed  gently  downward  and 
BO  divergent  from  the  other  set,  and  toward  the  apex  curved  considerably  downward 
Between  the  veins  of  the  upper  set  the  cross  veins  are  infrequent  and  mostly  straight, 
forming  quadrangular  cells ;  while  in  the  lower  set  they  are  more  frequent  and  very 
irregular,  foiming  polygonal  cells  which,  toward  the  apical  margin,  are  very  indbtinct 
from  the  feebleness  of  the  cross  veins. 

The  area  formed  at  the  apex  of  the  wings  by  the  divergence  of  the  two  sets  of  veins, 
is  filled  by  branches  from  the  superior  surface  of  the  uppermost  of  the  lower  set  of  veins, 
supporting  a  mesh  of  cross-veins. 

The  principal  vein  of  the  wing  then — the  only  one  which  appears  unquestionably  to 
support  a  number  of  branches  —  is  the  uppermost  vein  of  the  lower  set.  And  since  in 
all  palaeozoic  insects  having  true  net-veined  wings,  one  never  has  to  pass  beyond  the 
externomedian  vein,  in  starting  from  tho  costal  margin,  to  find  the  first  extensively 
branched  vein,  there  can  be  little  if  any  doubt  that  this  should  be  considered  as  belong- 
ing to  that  vein,  and  not  to  a  lower  one.  The  only  difficulty  about  this  interpretation  is 
that  in  the  middle  of  the  wing,  there  are  above  this  vein  no  less  than  fivj  equidistant  and 
almost  equally  distinct  veins.  The  first  of  these,  forming  the  margin,  is  the  marginal 
vein,  and  the  next  is  the  mediastinal.  It  is  impossible  to  consider  this  marginal  as  the 
mere  thickening  of  the  border,  and  the  vein  next  removed  from  the  border  as  the  true 
marginal  vein,  for  both  the  margin  itself  would  be  too  broad,  and  tne  marginal  would 


if      t! 


iv; 


i  ■'! 


1^ 


\h 


I 


i 


i   i! 

!    ii 


14 


SCUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


I 

1 

then  be  an  elevated,  and  the  mediastinal  a  depressed  vein  (see  fig.  8a),  which  is  never  the 
case  in  such  insects.  The  nervure  at  the  margin  then  is  certainly  the  marginal,  and 
that  next  to  it  the  mediastinal  vein.  Only  one  vein,  the  scapular,  can  lie  between  the  med- 
iastinal and  the  externomedian,  yet  between  our  undoubted  mediastinal  and  our  presumed 
externomedian  there  are  no  leas  than  three  vein^  to  be  disposed  of. 

Two  of  these  lie  in  the  depression  following  the  mediastinal  vein,  while  the  third  is 
upon  the  side  or  the  upper  edge  of  the  asc  snding  portion  of  the  area,  which  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  depression  lies  at  the  level  or  above  the  level  of  the  medinstinal  vein  (see 
fig.  8a).  It  seems,  therefore,  highly  probable  that  the  £wo  low-lying  veins  are  branches 
of  a  scapular  vein  which  probably  divides  not  much  further  toward  the  base  ;  and  that 
the  third  vein  in  question  is  the  main  externomedian  stem,  of  which  the  branching 
vein  below  is  only  a  principal  basal  offshoot ;  indeed  the  very  fact  that  the  branches  of 
this  offshoot  are  thrown  off  from  its  superior  surface  leads  to  the  presumption  that  it  is 
itself  a  branch  from  a  vein  above  ;  for,  while  an  area  between  two  branches  of  one  vein 
may  not  very  infrequently  be  filled  by  superior  offshoots  from  an  inferior  branch,  it  would 
certainly  be  abnormal  for  a  wide  area  to  be  filled  by  superior  offshoots  from  an  upper 
branch,  or  even  from  a  main  stem  itself.  Presuming  then  upon  the  correctness  of  these 
interpretations,  the  structural  basis  of  the  wing  is  as  follows  :  < 

The  marginal  vein  forms  the  border.  The  mediastinal  vein  is  simple,  and, 
running  nearly  parallel  to  the  marginal  vein,  probably  terminates  by  impinging 
upon  it  not  very  far  from  the  middle  of  the  outer  half  of  the  wing;  from  it  run 
frequent  oblique  delicate  cross  veins  to  the  border.  The  scapular  vein  divides  into 
two  longitudinal  veins  before  the  middle  of  the  wing,  probably  considerably  before 
it ;  for  even  before  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  for  as  great  a  distance  beyond 
it  as  it  can  be  traced,  the  two  branches  are  exactly  parallel  to  each  other  and 
the  mediastinal ;  all  the  longitudinal  interspaces  in  the  middle  of  this  part  of  the 
wing  are  equal ;  the  forks  are  connected  with  each  other  (and  the  upper  with  the  medi- 
astinal ?)  by  tolerably  frequent  faint  cross  veins  at  right  angles  to  the  nervures  ;  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  wing  and  beyond  it,  at  least  for  a  short  distance,  have  a  gentle  upward 
direction,  and  even  curve  very  slightly,  almost  imperceptibly,  in  the  same  direction  ;. 
beyond  however,  they  must  curve  strongly  in  the  opposite  direction,  for  the  pair  of  detached 
veins  toward  the  tip  of  the  wing  have  a  decided  downward  direction,  and  these  forks, 
whether  the  same  or  not,  must  in  that  part  of  the  wing  have  a  similar  direction ;  probably 
they  are  the  same,  and  if  so  they  show  that  they  retain  a  similar  distance  apart  until 
they  strike  the  costal  margin,  one  just  before  or  at  the  tip,  the  other  a  little  earlier. 

The  externomedian  vein  must  divide  into  two  principal  veins  near  the  base  of  the  wing ; 
the. upper  branch  follows  closely  the  course  of  the  veins  above,  and  lies  as  far  from  the  near- 
est as  the  latter  from  the  next ;  a  little  beyond  the  middle  of  the  wing,  however,  this  space 
is  slightly  increased,  and  an  intercalary  vein,  straight  and  similar  to  the  others,  but  fainter, 
takes  its  rise  from  an  oblique  bent  cross  vein ;  all  the  other  cross  veins  in  this  interspace 
and  on  either  side  of  the  intercalary  vein,  are  like  the  others  in  the  scapular  interspaces, 
and  the  whole  area  in  which  these  straight  and  directly  transverse  cross  veins  lie,  namely 
that  between  the  mediastinal  and  upper  externomedian  veins,  forms  a  deeply  sunken  but 
broad  sulcus,  the  floor  of  which  is  nearly  flat,  and  not  V-shaped  as  usual  in  folds  in  this 


INSECTS   OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK 


16 


part  of  the  wing  ;  probably  it  is  otherwise  further  toward  the  base  of  the  wing  before 
the  division  of  the  scapular  vein,  for  the  sides  of  the  sulcus  are  tolerably  steep,  and 
where  only  a  simple  vein  occupied  the  sulcus,  as  is  ordinarily  the  case  in  neuropterous 
wings,  the  sulcus  would  be  angular.  The  lower  externomedian  branch  at  the  middle  of 
the  wing  is  already  as  far  from  the  upper  branch  as  that  from  the  upper  scapular  branch, 
and  continues  to  diverge  from  it  with  a  very  gentle  curve,  which  increases  apically,  so 
that  it  strikes  the  border  with  the  same  direction  as  the  veins  above ;  in  the  in'erspace 
between  these  two  branches  runs  a  feeble  intercalary  vein,  slightly  irregular  in  direction, 
sending  off"  cross  veins  to  one  side  and  the  other,  forming  longitudinal  irregularly  pentago- 
nal cells ;  as  the  interspace  widens  these  become  more  irregular,  until  at  about  two-thirda 
the  distance  from  the  base  of  the  wing  to  the  tip  of  this  branch,  a  superior  offshoot  from 
this  branch  is  emitted,  having  a  course  about  midway  between  the  two  branches,  but  very 
soon  taking  a  somewhat  zigzag  direction,  and  assuming  altogether  the  appearance  of  the 
intercalary,  to  which  it  sends  frequent  cross  veins  ;  a  short  distance  further  on,  or  at  about 
the  end  of  the  second  third  of  the  wing,  this  emits  a  second  offshoot,  rather  more  prominent 
and  regular  than  the  first,  which  parts  rapidly  from  the  branch,  and,  remaining  near  the 
first,  afterwards  takes  the  apical  direction  of  all  the  veins ;  it  is  bound  to  the  upper  off- 
shoot by  frequent  cross  veins  forming  small  polygonal  cells ;  between  it  and  the  lower 
externomedian  vein  is  another  very  feeble  intercalary  arising  from  a  cross  vein,  and 
becoming,  like  its  lateral  offshoots,  nearly  imperceptible  toward  the  outer  maigin  ;  as 
indeed  do  all  the  other  cross  veins  and  intercalaries,  so  that  they  were  nearly  unobserved 
when  the  margin  alone  was  exposed,  and  many  of  the  cross  veins  fail  to  compass  the 
interspaces. 

What  can  be  seen  of  the  intemomedian  vein  is  traceable  slightly  further  toward  the  base 
of  the  wing  than  the  preceding,  but  as  the  wing  is  broken  here,  it  is  impossible  to  say 
whether  it  is  basally  divided,  and  the  poi  tion  visible  is  the  upper  branch,  or  whether 
what  we  see  is  the  whole  vein ;  in  the  former  case  the  upper  branch,  in  the  latter  the 
vein  proper,  runs  sub-parallel  to  the  lower  externomedian,  very  slightly  diverging  from 
it,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  wing  (where  it  is  broken,  but  where  its  connections  leave  no 
doubt  whatever  of  its  course)  is  as  distant  from  it  as  the  two  externomedian  branches 
at  the  same  point ;  a  single,  distinct,  pretty  regularly  zigzag  intercalary  runs  midway 
between  it  and  the  lower  externomedian  branch,  connected  with  tolerable  regularity  to 
the  veins  on  either  side  by  alternating,  straight,  transverse  or  oblique  cross  veins,  generally 
forming  rather  regular,  longitudinal,  pentagonal  cells,  which  become  exceedingly  irregular, 
obscure  and  broken  next  the  outer  margin  of  the  wing ;  just  below  the  apical  offshoot 
of  the  lower  externomedian  branch  it  throws  off  an  inferior  branch,  which  is  nearly 
straight,  and  is  apically  as  distant  from  it  as  is  the  next  vein  above  ;  between  these 
branches  is  a  very  irregular  intercalary  vein,  resembling  in  its  connections  the  apical  part 
of  the  intercalary  above.     The  parts  of  the  wing  below  this  branch  are  waiiting. 

The  relations  of  this  insect  to  living  types  is  far  more  obscure  than  in  the  case  of  Plat- 
ephemera.  It  has  certain  resemblances  to  Platephemera  and  also  to  the  carboniferous 
Palaeodictyoptera  to  which  it  mUy  possibly  belong,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  limits  of  the 
Ephemeridae,  even  including  Platephemera,  are  not  elastic  enough  to  admit  it,  and  its  diver- 
gence from  Dictyoneura  and  other  net-veined  insects  of  early  time  is  so  great  that  its 


1'  ' 
V' 


I)  1 1 


! 


m 


8CUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


ii  i+! 


reference  there  would  seem  to  obscure  its  real  isolation.  In  fact  there  seems  to  be  not 
only  no  family  of  insects  into  which  it  can  be  placed,  but  even  no  sub-order  living  or 
extinct,  into  which  it  would  naturally  fall.  There  is  no  known  insect  in  which  five  par- 
allel and  distant  nervures  follow  the  course  of  the  costal  margin,  and  of  which  only  two 
arise  from  the  same  root ;  and  so  fur  as  my  observations  have  gone,  I  have  found  no  neu- 
ropterous  insect  (to  which  of  living  groups  this  is  plainly  the  most  nearly  allied),  in  which 
the  externomedian  vein  is  the  first  extensively  branched  vein,  and  in  which  at  the  same 
time,  the  upper  branch  of  this  vein  is  simple.  In  Ephemeridae  (to  which  group  one 
would  most  naturally  compare  it  from  its  general  appearance),  the  externomedian  vein,  as 
already  stated,  is  always  compound,  and  its  upper  stem  is  always  forked.  In  this  insect 
on  the  contrary,  the  upper  stem  is  simple  (which  is  the  more  remarkable  from  the  forked 
character  of  the  scapular,  always  simple  in  Ephemeridae)  and  the  lower  forked,  its 
branches  being  superior  and  herein  differing  remarkably  from  ordinary  types. 

Gerephemera  then  is  not  only  further  removed  from  modern  Ephemeridae  than  is  Plat- 
ephemera,  but  can  be  even  less  closely  affiliated  with  Platephemera  than  the  latter  with 
modern  Ephemeridae.  It  has,  nevertheless,  some  distinctive  points  in  common  with  it. 
Such  are  its  great  size  and  the  probable  great  expanse  of  the  internomedian  area,  the  dif- 
fering character  of  the  net-work  above  and  below  the  uppermost  externomedian  branch, 
the  polygonal  nature  of  the  mesh-work  caused  by  the  cross- venation  (in  common  with 
many  other  old  insects),  and  the  somewhat  uniform  character  of  that  network  next  to 
and  away  from  the  border.  In  common  with  modern  Ephemeridae,  but  in  distinction 
from  most  other  insects,  must  be  mentioned  the  common  feature  of  intercalary  nervures, 
which  here,  as  in  Platephemera,  are  never  free  at  their  origin. 

As  points  of  special  distinction  from  Platephemera  may  be  mentioned  the  broad  area 
given  to  the  veins  above  the  externomedian  vein,  the  forking  of  the  scapular  vein,  its 
course  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  and  broad  sulcus,  the  occurrence  of  a  straight  intercalary 
in  the  scapular-externomedian  interspace,  the  entire  structure  of  the  externomedian  vein 
(differing  altogether  from  Platephemera)  and  the  elongated  slender  form  of  the  wing, 
which  resembles  much  more  closely  Dictyoneura  and  Haplophlebium. 

From  these  latter  genera  again,  to  which  we  should  perhaps  consider  it  most  closely 
allieu,  this  insect  differs  remarkably  in  the  structure  not  only  of  the  externomedian  vein, 
but  in  the  wide  extent  of  the  wings  above  that  vein,  and  the  number  of  nervures  which 
fill  it.  It  would  appear  also  to  differ  in  the  character  of  the  reticulation  above  the  exter- 
nomedian vein,  a  matter  of  less  importance,  but  in  which  it  agrees  with  Platephemera. 
The  difference  in  the  frame  work  of  the  wing,  however,  is  so  great  and  so  deep  seated, 
that  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  at  least  its  family  distinction  from  all  known  types. 
Whether  or  no  it  is  worthy  of  being  classed  as  subordinally  distinct,  I  leave  to  future 
discussion.  But  in  allusion  to  the  apparent  fact  that  the  peculiar  nature  of  its  neuration 
has  not  left  its  mark  on  modern  types,  I  propose  to  call  the  family  group  in  which  it 
should  be  placed  Atocina.*  It  will  be  sufficiently  distinguished  from  other  ancient  types 
(as  from  modern)  by  the  forking  of  the  scapular  vein,  the  course  of  the  externo- 
median, its  distant  removal  from  the  costal  margin,  and  its  peculiar  division. 

This  insect  and  Xenoneura  come  from  the  lowest  of  the  Lanpaster  Shales  which  furnish 
insect  remains,  called  plant  bed  No.  2,  by  Professor  Hartt. 

'  From  the  Greek  &rnxo^. 


i;b^ 


INSECTS  OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


V.       HOMOTIIETUS    FOSSILIS.      PI.  1,  figS.  1,  2. 


17 


Ilomothetua  foasilia  Scvud.,  Can.  imt.  geol.,  (n.  s.)  in,  205,  fig.  3  (1867);  —  Ib.,  Geol. 
mag.,  IV,  387,  pi.  17,  fig.  3  (1867);  — Id.,  Daws.,  Acad,  geol.,  2d  ed.  524-25,  fig.  182  (1868); 
—  Ib.,  Amer.  nat.,  i,  631,  pi.  16,  fig.  7  (1868);  — Ib.,  Geol.  mag.,  v,  172,  176(1868);- 
Pack.,  Guide  ins.,  77-78,  pi.  1,  fig.  7  (1869). 

Mentioned  without  name,  an  the  second  species,  in  my  letter  to  Mr.  Ilartt :  On  the  devo- 
nian insects  of  New  Brunswick,  p.  1 ;  Bailey,  Obs.  south.  New  Br.,  140 ;  Amer.  journ.  sc, 
(2)  xxxix,  357;  Can.  nat.  geol.,  (n.  8.)ii,  235;  Trans,  ent.  hoc.  Lond.,  (3)  ii,  117, —  all  in 
1865. 

The  wing  representing  this  insect  is  the  most  complete  of  the  devoni'in  insects, 
and  would  leave  little  to  be  desired  were  the  base  more  complete ;  unfortunately  the 
reverse  of  this  specimen  was  never  found,  or  it  might  supply  the  missing  parts.  To 
judge  from  the  strong  convexity  of  the  costal  margin,  it  is  a  front  wing.  It  has  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  a  Sialid  of  moderate  size,  and  the  form  of  the  wing  closely  corresponds. 
Although  a  fragment  from  the  middle  of  the  costal  margin,  and  the  whole  outer  half  of 
the  lower  margin  with  the  apex  are  missing,  the  form  of  the  wing  can  be  estimated  with 
considerable  probability.  The  costal  margin  is  in  ''eneral  strongly  convex,  but  is  flat  in 
the  middle  third,  the  basal  portion  rapidly  ascending,  aim  the  apical  as  rapidly  descending  ; 
the  apex  was  probably  roundec  lut  a  little  produced,  and  the  hinder  border  pretty  uni- 
formly and  fully  rounded,  making  the  middle  the  broadest  part  of  the  wing,  where  the 
breadth  is  probably  contained  about  three  times  in  the  length;  toward  the  base 
the  wing  narrows  rapidly,  but  at  the  extreme  base  more  gradually  above  so  as  to  be 
almost  pedunculate. 

The  marginal  vein  forms  the  border.  The  mediastinal  vein  is  at  first  inclined  slightly 
downward,  then  ascends  as  gently,  parting  slightly  from  the  marginal,  but  again  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  wing  commences  most  gradually  to  approach  it,  running  toward  the  extremity  of 
the  wing  in  close  contact  with  it,  but  apparently  not  joining  it  until  just  before  the  apex 
and  beyond  the  preserved  part  of  the  fossil ;  throughout  it  partakes  of  the  course  of  the 
margin,  but  in  a  less  exaggerated  form,  ascending  slightly  beyond  the  basal  part,  then 
straight  in  the  middle,  gently  arcuate  apically ;  it  is  connected  with  the  margin,  so  far  as 
can  be  made  out,  by  a  single  straight  cross  vein  somewhat  before  the  middle  of  the  wing. 

The  scapular  vein  follows  a  similar  course  as  the  mediastinal,  always  about  as  far  removed 
from  it  as  it  is  from  the  margin,  excepting  in  the  apical  third ;  where  its  distance  from  the 
mediastinal  is  slightly  greater,  so  as  to  carry  its'  termination,  no  doubt,  exactly  to  the  tip 
of  the  wing ;  no  cross  veins  can  be  seen  to  connect  this  vein  with  the  mediastinal.  No 
other  veins  can  be  traced  at  the  extreme  base  of  the  wing  between  the  scapular  and  the 
lower  margin ;  but  at  a  short  distance  (about  2-3  mm.)  from  the  base  of  the  scapular  vein, 
and  where  its  course  turns  from  a  descending  to  a  longitudinal  direction,  a  strong  trans- 
verse vein  depends  from  it,  directed  a  very  little  obliquely  outward,  and  reaching  from  one- 
third  to  one-half  way  to  the  lower  margin  of  the  wing ;  and  from  near  and  at  the  lower 
extremity  of  this  stout  transverse  vein,  other  longitudinal  veins  arise.  The  uppermost  arises 
from  the  middle  of  the  lower  half  of  the  vein,  at  a  distance  from  the  scapular  much  greater 
than  the  scapular  from  the  costal  margin  at  this  point ;  at  first  it  tends  upward,  parallel  to 


18 


SCDDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


the  costal  margin,  but  very  soon  divides  into  two  main  stems.  Tliese  two  stems  I  take  to 
be :  the  upper  the  nuiin  scapular  branch,  of  which  the  transverse  \ein  is  the  base ;  the  lower 
the  externomedian  vein,  amalgamated  with  the  former  at  the  base,  the  two  being  com- 
parable, as  will  be  shown  further  on,  to  the  same  nervures  in  the  Odonuta.  The  connection 
of  the  main  scapular  branch  with  the  veins  preserved  in  the  field  beyond  cannot  be 
directly  traced ;  but  from  the  position  of  the  latter  the  following  account  must  be  sub- 
stantially correct.  It  runs  in  a  nearly  straight  course  .to  the  middle  of  the  apical  half 
of  the  wing,  where  from  not  following  the  arcuate  course  of  the  main  scapular  vein  it  has 
diverged  considerably  from  it ;  here  its  straight  course  suddenly  terminates,  but  it  passes 
to  the  same  point  on  the  apical  margin  (just  below  or  at  the  apex),  by  a  gentle  arcuation 
subparallel  to  but  distant  from  the  main  scapular  vein,  with  which  it  appears  to  be 
nowhere  connected  by  cross  veins.  This  main  scapular  branch  emits  two  basal  and 
several  apical  inferior  offshoots ;  tho  apical  offshoots  are  thrown  off  at  wide  angles,  at  sub- 
equidistant  intervals  from  the  arcuate  portion  of  the  main  branch,  the  first  at  its  bend 
being  abruptly  and  widely  forked  not  far  from  its  origin,  the  others  being  simple  and  the 
interspaces  apparently  free  from  cross  veins.  The  basal  offshoots  are  probably  thrown  off 
(their  origin  is  destroyed)  at  a  little  distance  either  side  of  the  end  of  the  basal  third  of 
the  wing ;  and,  unlike  the  apical  offshoots,  certainiy  diverge  at  a  very  slight  angle,  and  are 
each  similarly  forked  ;  the  first  from  the  base  is  forked  near  its  origin,  and  its  upper  fork  is 
again  divided  narrowly  about  half  way  to  the  margin,  the  general  course  of  all  the  near- 
vules  of  this  basal  offshoot  being  broadly  arcuate.  The  other  and  outer  basal  offshoot  soon 
runs  parallel  to  the  main  scapular  branch,  .nd  is  connected  with  it  by  a  straight  oblique 
cross  vein  in  the  middle  of  the  wing,  where  It  fork;? ;  a  short  distance  further  on  a  piece  is 
broken  from  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  the  part  beyond  is  displaced  a  little  with  refer- 
ence to  it,  and  apparently  folded  a  little  so  as  to  obscure  the  exact  course  of  these  forks ; 
which  seem  to  become  involved  with  the  fork  of  the  first  of  the  apical  offshoots,  with 
which,  as  well  as  with  each  other,  they  are  connected  by  weak,  inequidistant,  straight,  direct 
or  oblique  cross  veins. 

The  externomedian  vein  can  be  traced  in  all  its  parts,  excepting  an  insignificant 
portion  of  the  tip  of  the  outer  of  its  branches;  the  main  stem  takes  an  arcuate 
course,  parallel  to  the  basal  offshoot  of  the  main  scapular  branch,  and  terminates  on 
the  lower  margin  just  beyond  the  middle  of  the  wing ;  half  way  from  the  transverse 
basal  vein  to  the  margin  it  throws  off  an  inferior  branch,  which  soon  becomes  parallel  to 
it  (and  where  it  becomes  so  is  connected  by  a  cross  vein  to  the  vein  below)  and,  by  an 
interpolated  vein,  which  appears  as  a  baseward  continuation  of  this  inferior  branch,  to  a 
bent  cross  vein  in  the  same  interspace,  just  beyond  the  middle  of  the  basal  half  of  the 
wing ;  this  cross  vein  is  bent  on  the  externomedian  side  of  the  interspace.  The  inter- 
nomedian  vein  is  compound,  being  broken  at  the  lower  extremity  of  the  transverse  basal 
vein  (before  which  it  is  not  seen)  into  two  compound  branches,  each  throwing  off  a  couple 
of  inferior  curved  offshoots  to  the  margin,  which  are  connected  together  by  two  sets  of 
cross  veins, —  one  belonging  only  to  the  nervures  of  the  upper  branch,  and  in  continuation 
of  the  direct  cross  nervure  in  the  externo-internomedian  interspace  ;  the  other  set  cover- 
ing both  branches  and  broken,  each  succeeding  vein  being  carried  successively  further  in, 
the  general  course  of  the   whole  series  being  across  the  middle  of  the  intemomedian 


'!       i 


IN     I: 


INSECTS  OF   NEW   BRUNSWICK. 


19 


area,  Bub-parallel  to  the  outer  seriefl ;  one  or  two  of  the  nervulcH  in  this  area  are  briefly 
forked  next  to  the  border.     The  anal  veins  cannot  be  Heen. 

The  length  of  the  fragment  is  40  mm.;  the  probable  length  of  the  wing  42  mm.;  its 
breadth  at  the  middle  is  14  mm.,  reduced  at  base  to  4  mm. 

The  most  important  vein  in  this  wing  is  the  scapular,  whoso  branches  occupy  about 
half  the  outer  margin ;  the  externomedian  is  comparatively  unimportant,  the  interno- 
median  occupying  a  larger  area.  The  more  striking  features  of  the  wing  besides  this  are  : 
the  origination  of  the  principal  scapular  branch  (from  which  all  the  scapular  nervules 
arise)  and  the  externomedian  vein  from  a  common  stem,  having  its  source  in  a  transverse 
basal  nervule ;  and  the  meagreness  of  the  transverse  neuration,  which  in  no  place  shows 
any  sign  of  reticulation.  The  point  first  mentioned  finds  no  parallel  among  insects  excep- 
ting in  the  Odonata,  where  it  is  almost  precisely  similar.  There,  as  1  attempted  to  show 
many  years  ago  in  treating  of  the  structure  of  the  wings  of  recent  and  of  fossil  Neurop- 
tera,  the  transverse  vein  termed  the  arculus  in  modern  nomenclature  should  be  considered 
as  made  up  of  two  veins  meeting  each  other  for  the  upper  of  the  two  longi- 
tudinal nervures  which  always  originate  from  it  belongs  to  the  scapular  vein,  while  the 
lower  belongs  to  the  externomedian.  Here,  these  two  veins  appear,  at  least,  to  be  amal- 
gamated at  the  base,  but  it  is  not  impossible,  and  would  indeed  seem  a  priori  more  prob- 
able, that  they  run  side  by  side  by  side  to  the  arculus,  and  are  merely  connate  in  appear- 
ance from  the  preservation  of  the  fossil.  However,  this  may  be,  it  would  seem  as  if  we 
had  in  this  peculiar  structure  the  presence  of  an  arculus  as  a  forerunner  at  this  early  day 
of  the  specialized  type  of  Odonata ;  the  main  scapular  branch  arising  from  the  arculus  is 
here,  as  in  all  normal  modern  Odonata,  the  principal  vein  of  the  wing,'  from  which  most 
of  the  subsidiary  branches  arise ;  in  these  two  points  this  fossil  wing  is  distinctively  and 
decidedly  Odonate  in  character ;  but  if  one  looks  further,  one  fails  to  find  expected  fea- 
tures, now,  and  even  in  Jurassic  time,  invariably  corellated  with  those  mentioned ;  espec- 
ially is  a  nodus  to  be  sought  in  vain  ;  the  marginal  vein  runs  without  break  to  the  tip  of 
the  wing ;  for,  although  it  cannot  be  followed  from  want  of  its  perfect  preservation,  all 
the  neighboring  veins  can,  and  the  number  is  similar  throughout.  So  too  the  fine  mesh- 
work  of  Odonate  wings  is  not  only  absent,  but  what  cross  neuration  exists  is  confined  to  a 
dozen  or  so  straight  veins  for  the  whole  wing.  If,  however,  we  consider  this  uppermost 
offshoot  from  the  arculus  as  the  main  branch  of  the  scapular,  and  simply  imagine  the 
arculus-structure  removed,  so  as  to  bring  this  main  branch  directly  and  plainly  dependant 
from  the  scapular  vein,  one  cannot  fail  to  see  how  close  the  entire  structure  would  be  to 
what  we  find  in  the  Sialina.  In  the  latter  group  indeed,  there  is  no  such  separation 
of  apical  and  basal  offshoots  to  the  main  scapular  branch  as  here,  but  all  the  scapular 
nervules  take  their  rise,  not  from  the  vein  itself,  but  as  here  from  a  principal  scapular 
branch,  arising  far  back  on  the  scapular  vein ;  the  general  relations  of  the  different 
areas  of  the  wing  are  also  much  the  same  in  both,  while  the  cross  venation  is  very 
similar.  Here  as  there,  the  internomedian  vein  and  its  branches  are  of  more  impor- 
tance —  cover  a  wider  area  and  bifurcate  far  more  —  than  either  the  externomedian 
vein  on  the  one  side,  or  the  anal  on  the  other.     We  have  here,  therefore,  as  I  pointed  out 

'  It  is  termed  vena  principalis  in  the  modern  nomenclature  not  arise  in  the  same  way  as  in  other  Odonata,  but  has  trans- 
of  students  of  Odonata.    In  some   Calopterygidae   it  does      ferred  its  origin  to  the  scapular  (median)  itself. 


5 


>}> 


p^ifi 


20 


SCUDDEll  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


wlicn  (IrKt  culling  nlfontion  to  thin  foHnil,  the  «Mntinptlvo  fontiiron  of  two  tolornMy  well  fop- 
nrati'd  giotipH  coinbiiu'd  in  one  individual :  eertuin  i'eatureN  of  the  wing  are  dintinctively 
Sialid  in  cliaracUT ;  oIIrth  occur  novliere  l)Ut  in  tlie  Odonata.  Yet  lliche  two  groups 
belong,  one  to  the  Neuroptera  i)roper,  the  other  to  the  IVeudoneuroptera,  and  we  find 
here  the  earlient  proof  of  their  common  origin,  in  a  wing  whone  t^pe  is  more  dihtinctly 
Hynthetic  than  any  other  known.  It  KeeniH  alno  to  bring  new  and  unanticipated  evi- 
dence in  HUpport  of  my  view  of  the  homologicH  of  the  vein  arining  from  the  arciduH  in 
Odonata. 

It  iH  plainly  impossible  for  uh  to  place  thin  insect  in  any  known  family  of  Neuroptera. 
It  must  be  considered  the  first  known  member  of  a  family,  forming  the  connecting  link 
between  iho  Neuroptera  proper  and  Pseudoneuroptera,  and  will  be  evidence,  in  so  far  a» 
it  goes,  of  a  closer  connection  between  these  two  groups,  than  between  tlie  latter  and  ()r- 
thoptera.  For  this  family  I  would  propose  the  name  of  Ilomothetidae,  and  would  char- 
acterize it  as  a  family  of  Neuroptera  («<««« /f///on),  allied  to  Sialina,  but  in  which  the  prin- 
cipal scapular  branch,  instead  of  originating  as  in  ^ialina  directly  from  the  main  stem, 
usually  near  tlie  middle  of  the  wing,  arises  in  common  with  or  close  beside  the  externo- 
median  vein,  from  an  arculus  near  the  base  of  the  wing,  connecting  the  scapular  and  inter- 
nomedian  veins ;  and  in  which,  further,  the  basnl  and  apical  ofli^hoots  from  this  nuiin 
scapular  stem  are  diflerentiated,  instead  of  exhibiting  a  similar  and  uniform  character. 

This  insect  was  found  in  plant  bed  No.  8,  of  Professor  Ilartt's  section,  the  highest  in 
the  series  as  developed  at  the  Lancaster  locality. 

VI.    Dyscritus  vetustus.    pi.  1,  fig.  4. 

Dyscritits  vetiishis  Scudd.,  Geol.  mag.,  v,  172,  176  (1808). 

Mentioned  without  niimc,  as  probably  idmtical  with  one  of  tlic  other  species,  in  my 
letter  to  Professor  Hartt :  Or  the  devonian  insects  of  New  Brunswick,  p.  1 ;  Bailey,  Obs. 
geol.  south.  New  Br.,  140;  Amer.  journ.  sc,  (2)  xxxix,  357;  Can.  nat.  geol.,  (n.  8.)ii, 
234;  Trans,  ent  soc.  Lond.,  (3)  i,  117  — all  in  1865. 

The  insect  briefly  mentioned  hitherto  under  this  name  has  not  before  been  figured,  and 
is  the  least  important  of  the  devonian  wings.  It  consists  of  only  a  small  fragment  of  a  wing, 
which  shows  a  bit  of  the  lower  margin  with  three  or  four  curved  veins  running  toward  it, 
and  connected  rather  uniformly  with  one  another  by  cross  veins  forming  quadrate  cells.  It  is 
plainly  distinct  from  all  the  others,  for  the  equivalent  region  in  no  case  is  similarly  broken. 
In  Lithentomvm  Harttii  the  corresponding  region  is  indeed  not  preserved,  but  the  cross 
veins  in  the  neighboring  parts,  although  weak,  straight  and  direct  as  here,  are  so  very 
infrequent  and  irregular  that  we  cannot  presume  the  parts  which  are  wanting  below  them 
to  be  very  different. 

The  veins  preserved  are  four  in  number.  The  uppermost  has  two  inferior  branches 
at  short  distances,  of  which  only  the  extreme  base  of  the  outer  is  preserved,  while  the 
inner  is  traceable  throughout  its  extent ;  it  parts  from  the  main  vein,  which  in  the  brief 
portion  preserved  runs  nearly  parallel  to  the  lower  margin,  at  an  ordinary  angle  and 
passes  in  a  regular  arcuate  downward  course  to  the  margin.  The  three  veins  below  this 
take  a  course  sub-parallel  to  this,  and  are  sub-equidistant ;  the  upper,  at  the  base  of  the 


INSECTS  OF  NEW  BBUN8VVICK. 


21 


pnrt  proflcrvod,  ih  a  little  nenrer  to  the  vein  nl>»)ve,  .ind  to  itn  firHt  brnnch,  than  to  the  vein 
below,  and  may  pownibly,  not  improbably,  be  a  braneh  of  the  firnt  vein  mentioned,  parting 
from  it  further  toward  lh«  bane  than  the  fracture  of  the  npecimen  allowH  uh  to  nee; 
the  two  veins  below  it  Heem  to  belong  together ;  the  bit  of  nuirgin  prenerved,  covering 
only  two  internpaceH,  i»  slightly  convex.  The  croHH  veinw  are  weak,  but  tolerably  uniform, 
and  either  direct  or  Hlightly  obli(|<ie,  or  occaHionally  a  little  irregular ;  they  are  nearly 
e(iuidi»tant  aH  a  general  rule,  but  ni«ire  frefuent  in  the  tniter  of  the  two  interHpacen  touch- 
ing the  margin  than  elHewhero.     The  length  of  the  fragment  is  15  mm. 

The  fragment  then  consiHth  of  Home  curved  veins  striking  the  lower  margin  of  a  wing, 
one  at  least  of  which  is  one  of  two  or  more  inferior  and,  so  far  as  can  bo  seen,  simple 
branches  (>f  a  principal  longitudinal  vein,  whose  course  would  nuike  it  terminate  eit!  er  at 
the  very  tip  of  the  .wing,  or,  if  it  aflerwards  curved  considerably,  very  near  the  extremity 
of  the  h)wer  margin.  This  principal  vein  probably  belongs  either  to  the  scapular  or  exter- 
nomedian,  while  the  lower  curved  veins  n])pear  like  branches  of  the  internomedian  vein. 
The  wing  cannot  therefore  be  referred  to  the  vicinity  of  either  Platephemera  or  Gereph- 
emera,  both  on  account  of  the  relations  to  each  other  of  the  veins,  and  of  the  nature  of 
the  reticulation,  the  latter  being  certainly  polygonal  in  this  region  in  both  these  genera  ; 
while  the  irregular  course  of  the  veins  themselves  in  Platephemera  and  their  considerable 
apical  divarication  in  Gerephemera  constitute  peculiarities  not  observed  in  the  simple  frag- 
ment under  discussion.  So  far  as  the  course  of  the  veins  is  concerned  it  can  be  much 
better,  and  indeed  very  well,  compared  to  Dictyoneura  and  its  allies ;  but  in  all  these 
insects  the  interspaces  are  fdled  with  a  minute  polygonal  reticulation  (wherever  it  is 
preserved),  which  is  such  a  characteristic  feature  that  Dyscritus  can  by  no  possibility  be 
considered  as  very  closely  allied  to  them. 

The  neuration  is  altogether  different  in  Xenoneura,  finding  nothing  at  all  comparable 
in  this  region.  The  longitudinality  of  the  veins  throughout  Lithentomum  seems  to  forbid 
any  clo-^e  comparison  with  it.  But  in  Homothetus  we  do  find  some  points  in  common 
with  Dyscritus  ;  for  while  the  reticulation  is  much  more  sparse  in  the  former,  there  is  a 
certain  regularity  about  it  similar  to  what  we  have  in  the  latter,  while  the  curving  of  the 
internomedian  veins  and  their  parallelism  certainly  resemble  in  a  general  way  the  same 
features  in  Dyscritus.  And  if  we  presume  the  fragment  of  Dyscritus  to  be  broken  from 
near  the  middle  of  the  wing,  we  may  see  a  not  distant  resemblance  between  the  longitudinal 
vein  of  Dyscritus  and  its  two  visibly  connected  branches,  and  the  main  branch  of  the  scap- 
ular vein  in  Homothetus  ;  while  the  upper,  independent,  curved  vein  of  Dyscritus  may  be 
taken  perhaps  for  the  externomedian  vein,  and  the  other  two  nervules  for  branches  of  the 
internomedian  vein.  The  resemblance  is  at  least  sufficient  to  make  us  believe  we  have 
here  a  clue  to  its  relationship  ;  while  at  the  same  time  it  differs  so  much  from  it  that  we 
cannot  associate  the  two  even  generically ;  for  if  they  are  to  be  compared  in  this  way  at  all, 
the  lower  stem  of  the  main  scapular  branch,  as  seen  in  Homothetus,  must  either  have 
become  single  and  simple  in  Dyscritus,  or  it  must  have  assumed  the  longitudinality  and 
mode  of  bifurcation  of  the  upper  stem. 

There  is  nothing,  however,  in  the  fragment  to  show  what  the  connection  of  the  main 
scapular  branch  may  have  been,  and  consequently  nothing  to  prevent  the  reference  of 
this  wing  to  the  Sialina,  where  the  relations  of  the  veins  would  be  the  same.     Judging 


Illp 


91  SCITDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 

by  onmpariMon  of  what  wo  havo  pronumod  to  bo  Himilar  partn,  wo  may  nuppono  thin  wing 
to  havo  boon  Hlightly  hirgor  than  that  of  IIomothetuH  /ohhUih,  and  itM  probable  length  not 
far  from  60  mm. 

Whatever  views  are  held  of  the  npccial  homologien  of  the  voinn,  itH  right  to  generic  dis- 
tinction from  IIomothetUH,  to  which  it  is  moHt  closely  allied,  must  bo  ooncodod  on  the 
ground  of  the  greater  simplicity  of  the  neuration. 

On  account  of  the  insignificance  of  tho  fragment,  however,  and  the  consequent  impos- 
sibility of  any  sure  clue  to  its  alRuitios,  it  would  not  have  been  worth  while  to  confer 
upon  this  wing  a  distinctive  generic  name,  oven  granting  its  generic  dissociation  from  all 
others,  were  it  not  for  tho  extreme  interest  attaching  to  any  insect  fragment  of  such  high 
antiquity. 

The  remains  were  found  in  plant  bed  No.  8,  of  Professor  Hartt,  the  highest  in  the  Lan- 
caster series. 

VII.       LlTHENTOMUM    IIaUTTII.      PI.  1,  fig.  3. 

Lithentomum  Hnrttii  ScuDD.,  Can.  nat.  geol.,  (n.  s.)  in.,  200,  fig.  4  (1807);  —  Ib., 
Geol.  mag.,  iv,  387,  pi.  17,  fig.  4  (1807);  Id.,  Daws.,  Acad,  geol.,  2d  ed.,  626,  fig.  183 
(1808) ;  —  Ib.,  Amer.  nat.,  i,  030,  pi.  10,  fig.  6  [Hartli]  (1808);  —  Ib.,  Geol.  mag.  v,  172, 
170  (1808);  — Pack.,  Guide  ins.,  77,  78,  pi.  1,  fig.  6  (1869). 

Mentioned  without  name,  as  the  third  species,  in  my  letter  to  Professor  Ilartt :  On  the 
devonian  insects  of  New  Brunswick,  p.  1;  Bailey,  Obs.  geol.  south.  New  Br.,  140 ;  Amer. 
journ.  BC,  (2)  xxxix,  357 ;  Can.  nat.  geol.,  (n.  s.)  ii,  235 ;  Trans,  ent.  soc.  Lond.,  (3) 
II,  117  — all  in  1805. 

The  lolic  to  which  this  name  has  been  given  is  tho  central  upper  portion  of  a  wing  in  a 
very  fragmentary  condition,  but  with  a  bit  of  the  upper  margin  suthcient  to  enable  one 
to  determine  pretty  positively  the  homologies  of  the  veins.  A  fragment  of  Calainites  has 
unfortunately  covered  tho  base  and  lower  part  of  the  wing,  but  one  or  two  of  the  veins 
appear  through  it  at  what  must  be  the  very  base  of  the  wing,  and  help  to  determine  its 
nature.  The  fragment  preservea  is  30  mm.  long,  and  15.5  mm.  broad;  but  the  wing  was 
probably  55  mm.  long,  and  perhaps  20  mm.  broad,  if  one  may  judge  from  its  general 
appearance  only  ;  it  certainly  repressnts  a  large  insect. 

The  marginal  vein  forms  the  border.  The  mediastinal  vein  in  the  basal  half  of  the 
wing,  and  probably  for  some  distance  beyond,  runs  parallel  to  and  at  considerable  dis- 
tance fr'  the  border,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  very  weak  oblique  cross  veins  at 
irregul:.!  ntervals,  '.vhich  toward  the  base  are  considerably  more  oblique  than  further 
outward ;  this  weak  construction  of  the  costal  margin  renders  it  probable  that  the  wing 
was  a  hind  one.  The  scapular  vein  in  the  basal  quarter  of  the  wing  runs  in  very  close 
proximity  to  the  mediastinal,  then  parts  from  it  a  little,  and  continues  sub-parallel 
to  it,  but  a  little  nearer  to  it  than  the  latter  to  the  border ;  there  appear  to  be  no  cross 
nervules  between  these  veins,  but  a  slight  and  irregular  tortuous  longitudinal  line  like 
a  mere  puckering  of  the  membrane ;  at  some  distance  before  the  middle  of  the  wing 
this  vein  puts  forth  at  a  slight  angle  an  inferior  branch,  which  takes  nn  arcuate  course 
sub-parallel  to  the  vein,  and  is  forked  about  as  far  beyond  the  middle  of  the  wing, 
apparently,  as  it  arose  anterior  to  it,  both  offshoots  taking  a  longitudinal  direction. 


m 


IN^RCTH  OP  NEW  BUITNSWICK. 


23 


Tho  t'xternometlian  v«in  next  th«  baM«  of  tlie  wing  i«  Hoinowlmt  (liHtant  from  th«  nciip- 
nlur,  is  atUtrwunlH  Htill  further  ruuioved  from  it,  and.  in  tlio  middle  half  or  more  of 
the  wing,  han  a  Homewliat  irregidar,  HinuouH,  longitudinal  courne,  Hulnparallel  to  the 
Hcapular  vein  ;  juht  before  the  end  of  the  banal  ((uarter  it  appearH  to  have  a  ntraight  ob- 
licjue  inferior  branch  widely  divergent  from  it ;  thin  in  the  vein  next  the  lower  margin 
of  tho  fragment ;  by  itH  courHC  it  woidd  appear  to  bo  a  branch  of  the  externomedian,  but 
ii  iM  not  impoHHible  that  it  may  be  the  internomedian  vein ;  whichever  it  in,  it  IbrkH  in  tho 
middle  of  tho  Hocond  quarter  of  the  wing,  each  fork  being  ntraight,  nimple  and  Hlightly 
divergent.  From  tho  point  where  tluH  inferior  l)ranch  nppearH  to  be  thrown  oil'  from  tho 
externomedian  vein,  a  Huperior  branch  appearn  alno  to  be  emitted  ;  it  Hcarcely  partH  from 
the  vein  and  ruuH  only  a  Hhort  distance  along  tho  internpace  in  a  nearly  Htraight  line  and 
then  dicH  out.  Beyond  thiM  the  externomedian  vein  throww  ofl*  two,  ho  far  an  can  bo  seen 
Hiiiiple,  branchoH,  which  are  nearly  ntraigla,  obliciuely  longitudinal,  and  part  from  the  vein, 
one  at  the  middle  of  the  wing,  the  other  a  nhort  diHtanoe  before  it  or  just  below  tho 
branch  of  the  scapular  vein.  Tho  interspaceH  thus  formed  below  tho  scapular  vein  are 
very  unequal  and  variable  in  breadth,  giving  the  neuration  a  feeble  uncertain  appearance, 
which  is  heightened  by  the  irregular  distribution  of  the  cross  veins,  which,  although  nearly 
idways  straight  and  transverse,  sometimes  bridge  the  narrowest,  sometimes  the  broadest 
parts  of  the  interspaces  ;  they  are  exceedingly  feeble  and  infroijuent,  the  largest  number 
being  found  in  tho  interspace  between  the  scapular  and  externomedian  veins,  although 
they  may  have  been  present  in  some  of  the  areas  where  they  cannot  now  be  seen. 

Wo  shall  seek  in  vain  to  accommodate  this  wing  in  any  of  the  modern  families  of 
Neuroptera.  There  are  none  excepting  the  Ephemeridae,  the  Embidac  and  perhaps  the 
Raphidiidae,  in  which  the  externomedian  vein  has  such  a  preponderating  importance,  and 
in  none  of  those  do  tho  scapular  or  externomedian  veins  have  a  structure  at  all  similar. 
The  structure  of  the  scapular  vein  is  somewhat  similar  to  what  we  find  in  the  8ialina,  but 
is  widely  difl'erent  from  it  in  the  paucity  of  tho  oflshoots  of  the  scapular  branch,  in  vhich 
this  wing  is  comparable  to  Xenoneura  only.  The  structure  of  the  externomedian  vein  is 
also  distantly  similar  to  that  of  the  Sialina,  but  in  this  family,  in  modern  times  at  least, 
the  number  of  principal  branches  is  always  fewer,  they  never  assume  such  a  longitudinal 
course,  and  never  cover  so  great  an  area.  Wo  must,  therefore,  separate  this  group  from 
all  known  families,  as  one  having  its  nearest  affinities  to  Sialina  in  modern  times,  and 
perchance  to  Xenoneuridae  in  the  ancient  ;  and,  considering  it  as  in  some  sense  a 
precursor  of  the  Sialina,  may  call  it  Cronicosialina.*  It  should  be  looked  upon  as  a  family 
of  Neuroptera  proper,  of  feeble  neuration,  in  which  the  scapular  vein  emits  a  main  branch 
near  the  middle  of  the  wing,  which,  running  nearly  parallel  to  thg  main  vein,  emits  one 
or  at  most  two  subsidiary,  also  longitudinal,  simple  offshoots.  The  externomedian  vein, 
tolerably  distant  from  the  former  throughout,  terminates  near  the  tip  of  the  wing,  emitting 
two  or  three  branches  at  very  uneq:  . "  distances  apart,  all  of  them  longitudinal  and  all  but 
the  basal  simple  ;  the  irregular  interspaces  thus  formed  are  crossed  at  very  unequal 
distances  by  very  feeble  but  straight  cross  veins.    The  lower  veins  are  unknown. 

This  specimen  is  the  most  obscure  of  all  the  devonian  insects  and  would  have 
been  overlooked  by  any  less  keen-sight  :d  observer  than  the  late  Professor  C.  F.  Hartfc. 

'  Kpovtxof,  old  faghioned. 


m 


SCUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


isi  ! 


Very  few  persona  seeing  it  would  recognize  it  as  an  insect,  yet  it  was  the  first  insect  found 
by  him  which  he  recognized  as  such.  It  is  on  this  account  that  I  have  selected  this  of 
all  the  devonian  wings  to  commemorate  his  discovery.  It  comes  froir  plant-bed  No.  8, 
the  highest  in  the  series. 

VIII       XeNONEURA  ANTIQUORUM.      PI.  1,   figs.   5,  6,  7. 

Xenoneura  antiqnorum  Scudd.,  Can.  nat.  geol,  (n.  s.)  in,  206,  fig.  6  (18C7);  —  Ib., 
Geol.  mag.,  IV,  387-88,  pi.  17,  fig.  5  (1867);  — Ib.,  Daw^ ,  Acad,  geol,  2d  ed.,  525-26, 
fig.  184  (1868);  — Ib.,  Amer.  nut.,  ii,  163,  fig.  1  (1868);  — 1b.,  Geol.  mag.,  v,  174, 
176  (1868). 

Mentioned  without  name,  as  the  fifth  species,  in  my  letter  to  Professor  Ilartt :  On  the 
devonian  insects  of  New  Brunswick,  p.  1 ;  Hailey,  Obs.  geol.  south.  New  Br.,  140 ;  Amer. 
journ.  sc,  (2)  xxxix,  357;  Can.  nat.  geol.,  (n.  s.)  ii,  235;  Trans,  ent.  soc.  Lond.,  (3)  ii, 
117, — all  in  1865;  see  also  Amer.  journ.  sc,  (2)  XL,  271. 

This  fossil  is  represented  by  a  fracturod  basal  fragment  of  a  wing,  probably  including  a 
little  more  than  half  of  it.  It  is  the  smallest  of  the  devonian  insects,  the  wing  having 
probably  measured  only  a  little  more  than  18  mm.  in  length.  It  was  long  and  slender, 
broadest  near  the  middle,  and  probably  tapered  to  a  rounded  but  somewhat  produced 
extremity,  as  in  certain  species  of  Dictyoneura.  The  costal  border  in  the  preserved  por- 
tion (probably  a  little  more  than  half  of  the  whole)  is  gently  convex ;  probably  beyond 
the  middle  it  is  straight  nearly  to  the  tip,  as  represented  on  the  plate ;  the  portions  of  the 
lower  margin  preserved  indicate  that  this  was  more  strongly  arcuate  but  not  full  next  the 
base ;  the  direction  of  the  margins  and  the  course  of  the  distant  veins  indicate,  as  stated, 
a  tapering  tip,  which  was  probably  ro;mded,  and  in  no  way  angular. 

The  marginal  vein  fonns  the  border.  The  mediastinal  vein  is  simple  nnd  gently  orcu- 
ate ;  at  first  ^t  curves  gently  in  the  opposite  sense  to  the  margin,  from  which  it  is  some- 
what distant,  and  with  which  it  is  connected  by  faint,  neo-rly  transverse,  or,  away  from  the 
base,  gently  oblique  cross  veins,  not  very  closely  approximated.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
second  quarter  of  the  wing,  it  is  about  as  distant  from  the  scapular  vein  as  from  the  mar- 
gin, and  thereafter  runs  nearly  parallel  with  the  latter,  but  with  a  slightly  stronger  curve, 
to  a  little  past  the  middle  of  the  wing ;  where  it  suddenly  terminates  in  a  cross  vein  bent  at 
a  right  angle,  the  upper  half  a  little  the  longer,  by  which  it  is  connected  with  the  veins 
on  either  side  of  it ;  a  somewhat  similar  termination  of  this  vein  is  shown  in  Goldenberg's 
figure  of  Dictyoneura  Ubelluloides. 

The  scj.  pular  vein  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  the ,  wing.  In  the  part  of  the  wing 
preserved  it  is  very  straight.  Next  to  the  base  it  is  in  exceedingly  close  proximity  to  the 
mediastinal;  diverging  gently  from  it  by  the  curve  of  the  latter  at  about  the  end  of  the 
basal  fifth  of  +he  fragment,  until  it  is  as  distant  from  the  mediastinal  as  the  mediastinal  is 
from  the  margin,  and  again  gradually  approachas  it ;  it  is  about  equidistant  from  the  bor- 
der at  the  end  of  the  fragment,  and  where  the  mediastinal  diverges  from  it ;  beyond  the 
tip  of  the  mediastinal,  it  probably  continues  its  straight  course  at  first,  or  even  trends 
slightly  upward  to  take  the  place  of  the  mediastinal  vein,  until  it 's  in  close  proximity  to 
the  border,  and  then  follows  nearly  the  curve  of  the  latter,  gradually  approaching  it  until 


INSECTS  OP   NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


25 


near  the  tip ;  but  the  track  of  the  vein  beyond  the  tip  of  the  mediastinal  is  of  course 
conjectural. 

At  a  little  beyond  the  end  of  the  first  third  of  the  wing,  it  emits  at  a  considerable 
angle  an  inferior  branch,  which,  at  about  half  way  from  its  base  to  the  tip  of  the 
mediastinal,  or  at  just  ibout  the  middle  of  the  wing,  begins  to  curve,  so  as  to  assume 
a  direction  parallel  to  the  main  vein,  and  at  the  same  time  forks ;  this  whole  branch 
is  very  faint,  and  is  almost  effaced  at  the  fork  next  which  the  wing  is  fractured. 
To  judge  from  the  course  of  the  other  veins,  one  and  only  one  of  the  offshoots  of 
that  branch  is  again  simply  foiked ;  which,  it  would  be  impossible  to  say ;  but  the 
upper  ofifehoot  (with  its  upper  fork,  if  it  divides)  most  probably  runs  sub-parallel  to,  and  at 
considerable  distance  from,  the  main  scapular  vein,  very  gradually  approaching  it, 
especially  apically  where  it  curves  dov  award,  until  it  terminates,  probably  at  the 
very  apex  of  the  wing.  The  sketch  in  fig.  5,  however,  represents  the  lower  branch 
as  forked,  ut  a  little  post  its  middle  ;  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  branches  impinge 
upon  the  margin  at  about  the  distance  apart  that  is  indicated,  or  at  a  little  less  distance 
apart  than  the  branches  are  seen  to  abut  on  the  fragment  of  the  lower  margin  which  is 
preserved.  The  only  question  is  concerning  the  basal  attachmcni  of  the  vein  which 
strikes  the  border  the  second  below  the  scapular  vein  itself ;  if  not  attached  as  represented 
in  the  plate,  it  originates  from  the  branch  of  the  scapular  vein  at  probably  a  little  less 
than  half  the  distance  between  its  first  forking  and  the  apex. 

The  vein  lying  next  below  this,  and  which  appears  on  the  plate  (fig.  5)  to  have 
a  double  attachment  to  the  scapular  vein,  seems  to  be  the  externomedian  vein.  That 
its  basal  half,  like  that  of  the  preserved  portion  of  the  scapular  branch,  is  very  faintly 
indicated  on  the  stone  seems  due  to  some  accident  of  preservation,  for  ..its  apical 
branching  part  is  distinct.  It  appears  to  originate  from  the  scapular  vein  a  a  little 
more  than  half  way  from  the  base  of  the  wing  to  the  origin  of  the  scapular  branch ; 
its  basal  portion  must  therefore  be  either  connate  with  the  scapular  vein,  or  be  so 
closely  connected  with  it  by  the  accident^  of  preservation  as  to  be  inseparable  from  it.  It 
diverges  from  the  scapular  at  the  same  angle  as  the  scapular  branch,  is  very  soon 
connected  with  the  adjacent  vein  below  by  a  short  cross  nervule  of  unusual  distinctness, 
bends  outward  a  little  beyond  this  cross  nervule,  and  at  an  equal  distance  beyond  is 
again  ^ient  to  its  former  course ;  here  it  is  connected  to  tlie  scapular  vein  by  a  faint 
oblique  cross  vein,  which  is  almost  exactly  continuous  with  the  subsequent  part  of  the 
externomedian,  and  reaches  the  scapular  vein  directly  above  the  distinct  cross  vein 
above  mentioned ;  thus  giving  the  mediastinal  vein  the  appearance  of  having  a  double  base, 
and  enclosing  between  its  basal  attachments  an  elongated  subrhomboidal  cell.  Beyond 
these  basal  divisions  the  vein  runs  in  a  straight  oblique  course  to  just  before  the 
centre  of  the  wing,  where  it  forks  widely,  the  upper  branch  being  simple  and  excepting 
for  a  gentle  arcuatl.n  at  its  base  nearly  straight  and  a  little  more  longitudinal  than 
the  main  stem ;  the  lower  branch  nearly  continues  the  direction  of  the  main  stem, 
and  at  a  little  less  than  half  way  to  th^  marjm  forks,  again  widely,  but  symmetrically, 
the  offshoot  being  simple,  the  upper  again  forked  half  way  to  the  margin,  the  final 
uppt  fork  being  nearly  horizontal  and  striking  the  border  in  the  middle  of  the  apical 
half  of  the  wing. 


!.  i: 


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g|  SCUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 

The  internomedian  vein  seems  to  be  represented  by  two  widely  separated  simple  veins, 
the  course  of"  which,  so  far  as  they  can  be  traced,  would  seem  to  indicate  that  they  have  a 
common  origin  very  near  or  at  the  base  of  the  wing,  directly  below  the  common  stem  of 
the  scapular  and  externomedian  veins.     The  upper  branch  first  comes  into  view  directly 
beneath  this  stem,  running  parallel  to  it,  and  not  very  far  away  from  it,  but  at  double  the 
distance  from  it  that  the  mediastinal  vein  is  at  this  point,  which  is  before  th*^  end  of  the 
basal  quarter  of  the  wing ;  when  the  mediastinal  vein  curves  upward  from  the  scapular, 
this  curves  downward  in  about  the  same  degree,  unti'  it  reaches  the  distinct  short  cross 
vein  which  unites  it,  as  before  stated,  to  the  externomedian  vein ;  here  it  ^ends  downward, 
becomes  more  distinct  than  any  of  the  nervules  between  it  and  the  main  scapular  vein 
(previously  it  had  been  rather  inconspicuous),  aiM  runs  in  a  nearly  direct  faintly  arcuate 
course  to  the  middle  of  the  lower  margin  of  the  wing,  gently  diverging  throughout  from 
the  externomedian  vein  and  its  nearer  branches.     The  lower  branch  is  first  seen  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  basal  third  of  the  wing,  from  which  point  it  passes  in  a  nearly  straight 
course  almost  parallel  to  the  distincter  portion   of  the  other  branch,  and  is  as  heavily 
marked.     The  anal  vein  is  perhaps  simple,  i-unning  at  first  downward  and  curving  outward, 
subparallel  to  but  distant  from  the  lower  basal  margin,  becoming  just  before  the  middle  of 
its  regular  course  straight  and  distinct,  when  it  diverges  slightly  from  the  border  of  the  wing, 
and  inclines  distinctly  although  not  greatly  toward  the  lower  internomedian  branch,  con- 
tinuing in  this  course  until  it  reaches  a  distinct  oblique  Cross  vein  which  unites  it  to  the 
latter  in  the  middle  of  the  basal  half  of  the  wing ;  here  it  bends  abruptly  downward  at 
right  angles  to  the  cross  vein,  and  runs  doubtless  into  the  margin ;  the  cross  vein  is  nearly 
transverse  to  the  interspace  in  which  it  lies,  and  is  about  parallel  to,  and  is  of  the  same 
length  as,  the  upper  limb  of  the  bent  cross  vein  in  which  the  mediastinal  vein  terminates. 
Next  the  basal  margin  of  the  wing  is  a  brief  simple  shoot  directed  almost  vertically 
downward,  which  may  be  an  inferior  basal  branch  of  the  anal  vein.     The  other  lines 
between  the  internomedian  veins  and  the  margin,  seen  in  fig.  5,  represent  merely  fractures 
in  the  stone. 

Besides  the  three  distinct  cross  veins  mentioned, — (1)  that  in  which  the  mediastinal 
vein  terminates,  (2)  that  between  the  upper  internomedian  branch  and  the  externomedian 
vein;  and  (3)  that  connecting  the  lower  internomedian  branch  and  the  anal  vein  — 
and  the  weak  cross  veins  visible  in  the  interspace  above  the  mediastinal  vein  (of  which 
only  those  in  the  basal  half  are  represented  in  fig.  6),  there  are  in  various  parts  of 
the  wing  exceedingly  indistinct,  very  weak,  very  closely  approximated,  but  unequally 
distant  cross  veins,  transverse  or  nearly  transverse  to  the  interspaces,  sometimes 
curved  but  never  showing  any  tendency  to  unite  so  as  to  form  any  kind  of  reticulation  ; 
it  is  probable  that  they  exist  throughout  the  wing,  or  at  least  below  the  main  scapular 
vein ;  they  are  most  distinct  in  +he  externomedian  interspaces,  and  in  those  on  either 
side  of  the  internomedian  branches,  especially  next  the  nervules  themselves,  as 
may  be  seen  in  fig.  5  on  either  side  of  the  lower  internomedian  branch,  where  they 
are  more  distinct  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  wing ;  this  mode  of  fracturing  the 
interspaces,  rather  than  reticulation,  is  the  more  marked  from  the  exceedingly  open  and 
distant  neuration. 


■=■■•*,.. 


INS3CTS  OP  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


27 


Besides  these  normal  features  of  neuration  there  are  some  other  characteristics  in  this 
wing,  purposely  left  for  description  to  the  end.     These  are  some  peculiar  marks  near  the 
base  of   the  wing,  originally  described  -by  me    as  "  apparently  independent   veinlets, 
forming    portions  of   concentric  rings."      These    ridged    rings    overlie    the     probable 
position,  as  here  described,  of  the  basal  part  of  the  lower  intemomedian  branch,  and 
lie  just  beneath  the   initial  divergence  of  the  mediastinal  and  scapular   veins ;    they 
consist  of  an  alternate  series  of  broken  concentric   grooves   and  furrows,  some  faint, 
others  in  places  very  distinct,   extending  over  nearly  half  the  width  of  the  wing  at 
this  point,  L  e.,  almost  reaching  the  upper  branch  of  the  intemomedian  vein  on  the 
one  hand  and  the  anal  vein  on  the  other;  the  most  distinct  are  three  short,  shallow 
furrows,  with  very  rounded  low  ridges  between  them  upon  the  upper  side,  next  the 
upper  branch  of  the  internomed"d,n  vein ;  the  outer  of  these  is  distant  from  the  extreme 
mark  upon  the  opposite  side  about  2.2  mm. ;  the  central  region,  rather  less  than  a  milli- 
meter in  diameter,  presents  a  slightly  elevated,  irregular,  granulated  surface,  like  many  of 
the  rougher  parts  of  the  stone  outside  the  wing,  and  has  no  peculiar  structure ;  the  whole 
lies  directly  upon  what  would  be  the  continuation  of  the  lower  branch  of  the  intemo- 
median vein  were   it  present,   and  apparently  obliterates    it;    one   of   the  outermost 
grooves,  an   extremely  faint  and  delicate   one,  crosses  the    anal  vein  at  a  very  sharp 
aflgle.     This   peculiar  feature   in  the  wing  I    formerly  compared    to  the   stridulating 
apparatus  of  the  Locustariae,  and  suggested  that  this  insect  thereby  united  characteristics 
now  found   only   separated,  some  in    Neuroptera  and    some    in    Orthoptera.     Several 
naturalists,  e.  g.,  Darwin,  Dawson,  and  Packard,  following  my  suggestion,  have  used  this 
as  a  striking  illustration  of  synthetic   character  in   early  types  of  animals,  and  have 
pictured  this  as  the   earliest  example   of  stridulation.     I  am  now  obliged  to  confess 
that  I  have   led  them  altogether  astray;  this  peculiarity,  although  bearing  a  strong 
superficial  resemblance   to   the   stridulating   organs  in  Locustariae,   having,   I  believe, 
nothing  whatever    to  do  with    the   wing  itaelf      The  stridulating  apparatus  of   Or- 
thoptera, whenever  it  concerns  the   wings,   is  invariably  based  on  a  modification   of 
existing  veins;  in  its  simplest  fonns  it  is  the  mere  thickening  of  certain  nervules, 
ant.  furnishing  them  with   a  sharp  or    rough  edge.      In  the   original  appearance  of 
a  stridulating  organ  in  insects,  we   should  look  for  some   such  simple  form   as  the 
initial  stage.     But  in  this  fossil  wing  we   find  nothing  of  the  sort;  no  one  of  the 
concentric  lines  or  grooves   are   continuous  with  any  of  the  neighboring  veins.     The 
only  appearances  which  favor  such  a  view  are:  (1)  the  openness  of  the  neuration  at 
this  pomt,  which  allows  thi.-  great  scar  to  lie  at  the  base  of  the  wing  without  disturbing 
more  than  one  of  the  veins ;  (2)  the  curve  of  the  anal  vein,  which  has  the  appearance 
of  passing  around  this  obstruction ;  but  the  course  of  which  is  in  keeping  with  the  curve 
of  the  lower  margin  of  the  wing,  equally  explaining  it;  and  (3)  the  curve  of  the  cross 
veins  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  scar,  as  seen  on  either  side  of  the  lower  intemomedian 
branch  in  fig.  6;  which  veins,   however,  when  narrowly  examined,  are   seen   to  form 
angles  with   the  more  prominent  concentric  grooves  and    ridges.     These  ridges,  too, 
are  not  of  a  form  suitable  for  the  production  of  sound,  the  depressions  or  elevations, 
being  extremely  smooth  and  gradual ;  they  are  also  of  very  unequal  size  and  thickness ; 
they  do  not  occur  in  the  anal   area,  as  in  all  Locustariae,  but  in  the  intemomedian; 


SCTTDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


I 


and  they  have  just  sufficient  regularity  to  render  it  most  probable  that  the  central, 
irregular,  rough,  and  slightly  elevated  mass  is  either  the  relip  of  a  foreign  substance, 
which  has  fallen  upon  the  wing,  subsequent  pressure  upon  which,  when  the  membrane  of 
the  wing  formed,  so  to  speak,  a  part  of  the  floor  upon  whioh  it  lay,  has  caused  the  mud  and 
membrane  together  to  assume  the  present  appearance ;  or,  that  we  chance  here  to  have 
stumbled  on  a  wing  which,  in  the  nymph  condition,  has  met  with  some  accident,  producing 
in  the  imago  a  blister-like  distortion,  such  as  those  figured  by  Mocquerys,  as  ouggested  to 
me  by  Dr.  Hagen,  in  the  elytra  of  Cardbus  monilia,  Mesonphalia  gibba,  Timarcha 
rugosa,  and  as  must  have  been  observed  in  the  veined  wings  of  insects  of  the  other 
orders  by  all  entomologists  This  last  supposition  would  better  account  for  the  greater 
prominences  of  the  peculiar  markings  around  one  part  of  the  scar  than  elsewhere,  and 
for  the  apparent  partial  conformity  of  the  cross  venation  to  the  contour  of  the  tear. 
Whichever  way  it  be  considered,  it  does  not  now  appear  to  me  reasonable  to  maintain  my 
former  hypothesis  of  a  stridulating  organ,  to  which  nevertheless  there  is,  as  stated, 
a  remarkable  general  resemblance.  That  such  a  stridulating  organ  would  be  a  great 
anomaly  no  one  can  question,  and  the  proposition  should  not  be  maintained  in  the 
face  of  the  objections  which  careful  and  prolonged  study  and  comparison  elicit. 

But  putting  aside  its  extraneous  features,  we  may  discuss  the  affinities  of  this  insect  on 
the  basis  of  the  unquestionable  characteristics  of  its  neuration,  and  shall  find  in  these  enough 
to  excite  our  interest  and  even  to  perplex  us.  In  its  general  features  the  wing  is  plainly 
neuropterous.  It  would  appear  from  the  strength  of  the  margin  to  be  an  upper  wing, 
and  in  its  form  to  resea.  jle  that  of  many  true  Neuroptera ;  its  sweeping  forking  bmnches 
with  direct  transverse  cross  venation  attest  the  same  proposition,  but  when  we  come  to 
compare  it  with  known  types,  we  shall  find  it  extremely  difficult  to  place  it.  Its  very 
open  neuration  is  one  general  feature  which  is  peculiar ;  the  presence  of  two  or  three 
very  prominent  cross  veins,  with  an  extreme  mvdtitude  of  feeble  cross  veins  never 
breaking  up  into  an  irregular  reticulation,  is  certainly  strange  ;  so  is  the  termination  of 
the  mediastinal  vein,  and  still  more  the  entire  simplicity  and  extreme  separation  of  the 
intemomediou  veins,  occupying  so  large  an  area  of  the  wing  without  a  fork,  and 
connected  in  so  unusual  a  manner  with  the  veins  on  either  side ;  the  apparent  absolute 
amalgamation  of  the  bases  of  the  scapular  and  externomedian  veins  in  siich  early  insects 
is  very  unexpected ; — and  all  combine  to  form  an  ensemble  which  is  the  odder  for  the 
general  simplicity  of  the  neuration.  It  would  be  hard  to  say  \vhich  is  the  most  prominent 
vein  in  the  wing;  the  scapular,  externomedian  and  intemomsdian  occupy  about  equal 
areas,  and  while  the  two  former  branch  more  than  the  latter,  their  nervtdes  are  compar- 
atively much  feebler. 

In  the  openness  and  sparseness  of  the*  neuration  and  in  the  paucity  (but  not 
at  all  in  the  position)  of  the  principal  cross  veins,  it  bears  a  certain  resemblance  to 
the  Coniopterygidae  and  to  no  other  neuropterous  family ;  but  the  differences  are  far 
greater  and  more  important  than  the  resemblances  and  scarcely  need  be  stated. 

There  are  also  some  features  which  give  it  a  sialidan  appearance ;  if  we  suppose,  as  we 
may,  that  the  second  nervule  reaching  the  margin  below  the  main  scapular  vein  arises 
from  the  main  scapular  branch,  we  shall  have  a  condition  of  the  scapular  vein  \  :;ry  like 
that  of  the  SIj,lma,  excepting  in  the  slight  number  of  ofishoots  from  its  branch,  which 
would  be  very  abnormal;  in   the  near  or  actual  amalgamation  of   the   externomedian 


'M  '■ 


.     i' 


INSECTS  OP  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


,T^F 


with  the  scapular  vein,  vhere  is  also  nothing  to  separate  it  from  the  Sialina,  excepting  their 
anaalgamation  for  so  great  a  distance ;  but  the  structure  of  all  the  other  veins  and  the 
peculiarities  of  the  cross  venation  is  very  diflferent  from  the  same  points  in  the  Sialina. 

In  the  course  of  most  of  the  main  veins  and  their  mode  of  branching,  it  has  some 
resemblance  to  the  Raphidiidae,  but  it  has  no  affinity  whatever  with  that  group  in  the 
peculiar  directions  of  the  nervules  and  their  connection  by  distant  cross  veins,  so  as  to 
form  large  polygonal  cells,  which  is  one  of  the  most  striking  of  the  characteristic  features 
of  Raphidiidae. 

The  apical  two-tliirds  of  the  wing  (excluding,  therefore,  the  attachments  of  most  of  the 
veins)  are  in  sufficient  harmony  with  these  parts  in  the  carboniferous  Dictyoneurae  to 
presume,  at  first,  that  the  wing  will  fall  in  the  ancient  order  of  Palaeodictybptera.  As  yet, 
however,  we  know  too  little  of  the  extent  and  even  of  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  this 
group  to  say  whether  cr  not  the  structure  nf  the  base  of  the  wing  will  allow  its  location 
here ;  certainly  it  will  not  admit  its  being  placed  in  the  siame  family  with  the  genus  Dictyo- 
neura ;  and  at  present  thiEi  is,  perhaps,  all  that  we  can  say  until  the  structure  of  all  the 
ancient  wings  shall  have  been  most  carefully  studied. 

It  is  in  large  measure  in  those  points  of  structure  which  Dictyoneura  shares  with  the 
Ephemeridae,  that  Xenoneura  is  comparable  c^  ^ormev,  and  we  therefore  see  in  this 
wing  ephemeridan,  sialidan,  raphidian  and  coniopterygidan  features,  combined  with  others 
peculiar  to  itself.  Whatever  the  closest  affinities  of  the  wing  may  prove  to  be,  it  must 
certainly,  by  its  combination  of  characters,  bridge  over  the  gulf  now  separating  the  wing 
features  of  Neuroptera  and  Pseudoneuroptera  ;  and  these  various  considerations  assure  us 
of  its  family  distinction  from  any  known  ancient  or  modern  type  of  Neuroptera,  and  of 
the  propriety  of  applying  to  the  group  it  represents  the  family  name  of  Xenoneuridae. 

This  species,  with  Gerephemera  simplex,  came  from  the  lowest  insect-producing  beds  of 
the  Lancaster  ShpJes,  called  plant  bed  No.  2,  by  Professor  Hartt. 

IX.    General  Summary. 


It  only  remains  to  sum  up  the  results  of  this  re-examination  o"  the  devonian  insects, 
and  especially  to  discuss  their  relation  to  later  or  now  existing  types.  This  may  best  be 
done  by  a  separate  consideration  of  the  following  points : 

1.  There  is  nothing  in  the  structure  of  these  earliest  known  insects  to  interfere  with  a 
former  conclusion  ^  that  the  general  type  of  wing  structure  has  remained  unaltered  from 
the  earliest  times.  Three  of  these  six  insects  (Gerephemera,  Homothetus  and  Xenoneura) 
have  been  shown  to  possess  a  very  peculiar  neuration,  dissimilar  from  both  carboniferous  and 
rr  idem  types.  As  will  also  be  shown  under  the  tenth  head,  the  dissunilarity  of  structure 
of  all  the  devonian  insects  is  much  greater  than  would  be  anticipated ;  yet  all  the  features 
of  neuration  tin  be  brought  into  perfect  harmony  with  the  system  laid  down  by  Heer. 

2.  TTiese  earliest  insects  were  hexapods,  and  as  far  as  the  record  goes  preceded  in  time 
both  arachnids  and  myriapods.  This  is  shown  only  by  the  wings,  which  in  all  known 
insects  belong  only  to  hexapods,  and  in  the  nature  of  things  prove  the  earlier  apparition 
of  that  group.  This,  however,  is  so  improbable  on  any  hypothesis,  that  we  must  conclude 
the  record  to  be  defective.  i    "    ^^  :        "       1 

i  The  early  types  of  insects.    Mem.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ill,  21. 


30 


8CUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


I'  ,  'M 


t  '/t       ■   J 


I         II  > 


m  ' 


V. 


8.  They  were  all  lower  Heterometahola.  Ka  wings  are  the  only  parts  preserved,  we 
cannot  tell  from  the  remains  themselves  whether  they  belong  to  sucking  or  to  biting 
insects ;  for,  as  was  shown  in  the  essay  already  referred  to,  this  point  mu  t  be  considered 
undetermined  concerning  many  of  the  oldest  insects  until  more  complete  remains  are 
discovered. 

They  are  all  allied  or  belong  to  the  Neuroptera,  using  the  word  in  its  widest  sense.  At 
least  two  of  the  genera  (Platephemera  and  Gerephemera)  must  be  considered  as  having  a 
closer  relationship  to  Pseudoneuroptera  than  to  Neuroptera  proper,  and  as  having  indeed 
no  special  affinity  to  the  true  Neuroptera  ot'uer  than  is  found  in  Palaeodictyoptera.  Two 
others  (Lithentomum  and  Xenoneura),  on  the  contrary,  are  plainly  more  nearly  related  to 
the  true  Neuroptera  than  to  the  Pseudoneuroptera,  and  also  show  no  special  affinity  to 
true  Neuroptera  other  than  is  found  in  Palaeodictyoptera.  A  fifth  (Homothetus),  which 
has  comparatively  little  in  common  with  the  Palaeodictyoptera,  is  perhaps  more  nearly 
related  to  the  true  Neuroptera  than  to  the  Pseudoneuroptera,  although  its  pseudo- 
neuropterous  characters  are  of  a  striking  nature.  Of  the  sixth  (Elyscritus)  the  remains 
are  far  too  imperfect  to  judge  clearly,  but  the  choice  lies  rather  with  the  Pseudoneuroptera 
or  with  Homothetus.  The  devonian  insects  are  then  about  equally  divided  in  structural 
features  between  Neuroptera  proper  and  Pseudoneuroptera,  and  none  exhibit  any  special 
orthopterous,  hemipterous  or  coleopterous  characteristics. 

4.  Nearly  all  are  synthetic  types  of  a  comparatively  narrow  range.  This  has  been 
stated  in  substance  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  but  may  receive  additional  illustration 
here.  Thus  Platephemera  may  be  looked  upon  as  an  ephemerid  with  an  odonate  retic- 
ulation ;  Homothetus  might  be  designated  as  a  sialid  with  an  odonate  structure  of  the 
main  branch  of  the  scapular  vein ;  and  under  each  of  the  species  will  be  found  detailed 
accounts  of  any  combination  of  characters  which  it  possesses. 

5.  Nearly  all  hear  marks  of  affinity  to  the  carboniferous  Palaeodictyoptera,  either  in 
the  reticulated  surface  of  the  wing,  its  longitudinal  neuration,  or  both.  But  besides  this 
there  are  some,  such  as  Gerephemera  and  Xenoneura,  in  which  the  resemblance  is  marked. 
Most  of  the  species,  however,  even  including  the  two  mentioned,  show  palaeodictyopteran 
characters  only  on  what  might  be  called  the  neuropterous  side ;  and  their  divergence 
from  the  carboniferous  Palaeodictyoptera  is  so  great  that  they  can  scarcely  be  placed 
directly  with  the  mass  of  palaeozoic  insects,  where  we  find  a  very  common  type  of  wing 
structure,  into  which  the  neuration  of  devonian  insects  only  partially  fits.     For : 

6.  On  the  other  hand,  they  are  often  of  more  and  not  less  compli<.ated  structure  than 
most  Palaeodictyoptera.  This  is  true  of  the  three  genera  mentioned  above  with  peculiar 
neuration,  but  not  necessarily  of  the  others,  and  it  especially  true  when  they  are  com- 
pared with  the  genus  Dictyoneura  and  its  immediate  allies.  There  are  other  Palaeodicty- 
optera in  the  carboniferous  period  with  more  complicated  neuration  than  Dictyoneura,  but 
these  three  devonian  insects  apparently  surpass  them,  as  well  as  very  nearly  all  other 
carboniferous  insects.     Furthermore : 

7.  With  the  exception  of  the  general  statement  under  the  fifth  head,  they  hear 
little  sjiedal  relation  to  carhoniferous  forms,  having  a  distinct  fades  of  thdr  own.  This 
is  very  striking ;  it  would  certainly  not  be  possible  to  collect  six  wings  in  one  locality 
in  the  carboniferous  rocks,  which  would  not  prove,  by  their  afi&uity  with  those  already 


INSECTS   OP  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


81 


At 


known,  the  carboniferous  age  of  the  deposit.  Yet  we  find  in  this  devonian  locality 
not  a  single  one  of  the  Palaeoblattariae  or  anything  resembling  them ;  and  more  than 
half  the  known  insects  of  the  carboniferous  period  belong  to  that  type.  The  next 
most  prevailing  carboniferous  type  is  Dictyoneura  and '  its  near  allies,  with  their 
reticulated  wings.  Gcrephemera  only,  of  all  the  devonian  insects,  shows  any  real  and 
close  affinity  with  them  ;  and  even  here  the  details  of  the  wing  structure,  as  shown 
above,  are  very  different.  The  apical  half  of  the  wing  of  Xenoneura  (as  I  have 
auppoHed  it  to  be  formed)  also  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  dictyoneuran  wing ; 
but  the  base,  which  is  preserved,  and  where  the  more  important  features  lie,  is  totally 
different.  The  only  other  wing  which  shows  particular  resemblance  to  any  carboniferous 
form  (we  must  omit  Dyscritus  from  this  consideration,  as  being  too  imperfect  to 
be  of  any  value)  is  Platephemera,  where  we  find  a  certain  general  resemblance 
to  Ephemerites  Buckerti  Gein.,  and  Acridites  prisctts  Andr.,  but  this  is  simply  in  the 
form  of  the  wing  and  the  general  course  of  the  nervules  ;  when  we  examine  the  details 
of  the  neuration  more  closely  we  find  it  altogether  different,  and  the  reticulation 
of  the  wing  polygonal  and  not  quadrate  as  in  the  carboniferous  types.*  In  this 
respect  indeed,  Platephemera  differs  not  only  from  all  modern  Epbemeridae,  but 
also  from  those  of  other  geological  periods.'  Another  prevailing  carboniferous  type,  the 
Termitina,  is  altogether  absent  from  the  devonian.  Half  a  dozen  wings,  therefore,  from 
rocks  known  to  be  either  devonian  or  carboniferous,  would  probably  establish  their 
age. 

8.  TTie  devonian  inaects  were  of  great  size,  had  membranous  wings,  and  were  probably 
aquatic  in  early  life.  The  last  statement  is  simply  inferred  from  the  fact  that  all  the 
modem  types  most  nearly  allied  to  them  are  now  aquatic.  As  to  the  first,  some  state- 
ments have  already  been  made  ;  their  expanse  of  wing  probably  varied  from  40  to  175 
mm.  and  averaged  107  mm.  Xenoneura  was  jnuch  smaller  than  any  of  the  others,  its 
expanse  not  exceeding  four  centimetres,  while  the  probable  expanse  of  all  the  rest  was 
generally  more  than  a  decimeter,  only  Homothetus  falling  below  this  figure.  Indeed  if 
Xenoneura  be  omitted,  the  average  expanse  of  wing  was  121  mm.,  an  expanse  which 
might  well  be  compared  to  that  of  the  Aeschnidae,  the  largest,  as  a  group,  of  living 
Odonata.  There  is  no  trace  of  coriaceous  structure  in  any  of  the  wings,  nor  in  any  are 
there  thickened  and  approximate  nervules  —  one  stage  of  the  approach  to  a  coriaceous 
texture. 

9.  Some  of  the  devonian  insects  are  plainly  precursors  of  existing  forms,  while  others 
seem  to  have  left  no  trace.  The  best  examples  of  the  former  are  Platephemera,  an 
aberrant  form  of  an  existing  family ;  and  Homothetus,  which,  while  totally  different  in  the 
combination  of  its  characters  from  anything  known  among  living  or  fossil  insects,  is  the 
only  palaeozoic  insect  possessing  that  peculiar  arrangement  of  veins  fotmd  at  the  base  of 
the  wings  in  Odonata,  typified  by  the  arculus,  a  structure  previously  known  only  as  early  as 


*  Dr.  H.  B.  Geinitz  has  kindly  re-examined  Ephemerites 
RUckerti  at  my  request,  and  states  that  the  reticulation  is  in 
general  tetragonal,  but  that  at  the  extreme  outer  margin 
the  cells  appear  in  a  few  places  to  be  elliptical  five-  or  six- 
sided.  ,,  -,:.-J---     . 


'  The  Dictyoneurae  and  their  allies,  as  may  be  inferred, 
f,re  considered  as  belonging  to  the  Palaeodictyoptera, 
although  their  ephemeridan  &iiinities  are  not  disregarded. 


32 


SCUDDKR  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


>  I': 


I 


im 


'i 


.!.( 


-ri^i 


the  Jurassic.  Examples  of  the  latter  are  Oerephemera,  which  has  a  multiplicity  of  simple 
parallel  veins,  next  the  costal  margin  of  the  wing,  such  as  no  other  insect,  ancient  or 
modem,  is  known  to  possess  ;  and  Xenoneura,  where  the  relationship  of  the  internomedian 
branches  to  each  other  and  to  the  rest  of  the  wing  is  altogether  abnormal.  If  too,  the 
concentric  ridges,  formerly  interpreted  by  me  as  possibly  re  resenting  a  stridulating  organ, 
should  eventually  be  proved  an  actual  part  of  the  wing,  we  should  have  here  a  structure 
which  has  never  since  been  repeated  even  in  any  modified  form. 

10.  They  show  a  remarkable  variety  of  structure,  indicating  an  abundance  of  insect  life 
at  that  epoch.  This  is  the  more  noticeable  from  their  belonging  to  a  single  type  of  forms, 
as  stated  imder  the  seventh  head,  where  we  have  seen  that  their  neuration  does  not 
accord  with  the  commonjr  type  of  wing  structure  found  in  palaeozoic  insects.*  These 
six  wings  exhibit  a  diversity  of  neuration  quite  as  great  as  is  found  among  the 
hundred  or  more  species  of  the  carboniferous  epoch  ;  in  some,  such  as  Platephemera,  the 
structure  is  very  simple  ;  in  others,  like  Homothetus  and  Xenoneura,  it  is  somewhat 
complicated  ;  some  of  the  wings,  as  Platephemera  and  Gerephemera,  are  reticulated  ;  the 
others  possess  only  transverse  cross  veins  more  or  less  distinct  and  direct.  No  two  wings 
can  be  referred  to  the  same  family,  unless  Dyscritus  belongs  with  Homothetus  —  a  point 
which  cannot  be  determined  from  the  great  imperfection  of  the  former.  This  compels  us 
to  admit  the  strong  probabili  y  of  an  abundant  insect  fauna  at  that  epoch  ;  although  man^ 
palaeozoic  localities  can  boast  a  greater  diversity  of  insect  types,  if  we  look  upon  their 
general  structure  as  developed  in  after  ages,  not  one  in  the  world  has  produced  wings 
exhibiting  in  themselves  a  wider  diversity  of  neuration  ;  for  the  neuration  of  the  Palaeo- 
dictyoptera  is  not  more  essentially  distinct  from  that  of  the  Paloeoblattariae  or  of  the 
ancient  Termitina,  than  that  of  Platephemera  or  Gerephemera  on  the  one  hand  is  from 
that  of  Homothetus  or  of  Xenoneura  on  the  other.  Unconsciously,  perhaps,  we  allow  our 
knowledge  of  existing  types  and  their  past  history  to  modify  our  appreciation  of 
distinctions  between  ancient  forms.  For  while  we  can  plainly  see  in  the  Palaeoblattariae 
the  progenitors  of  living  insects  of  one  order,  and  in  other  ancient  types  the  ancestors  of 
living  representatives  of  another  order  ;  were  we  unfamiliar  with  the  divergence  of  these 
orders  in  modern  times,  we  should  not  think  of  separating  ordinally  their  ancestors  of  the 
carboniferous  epoch.  It  may  easily  be  seen,  then,  how  it  is  possible  to  find  in  these 
devonian  insects* —  all  Neuroptera  or  neuropteroiis  Palaeodictyoptera  —  a  diversity  of  wing 
structure  greater  than  is  found  in  the  carboniferous  representatives  of  the  modem 
Neuroptera,  Orthoptera  and  Hemiptera. 

11.  The  devonian  insects  also  differ  remarkably  from  all  other  known  types,  ancient  or 
modern ;  and  some  of  them  appear  to  be  even  more  complicated  than  their  nearest  living 
allies.  With  the  exception  of  Platephemera,  not  one  of  them  can  be  referred  to  any 
family  of  insects  previously  known,  living  or  fossil ;  and  even  Platephemera,  as  shown 
above,  differs  strikingly  from  all  other  members  of  the  family  in  which  it  is  placed,  both 
in  general  neuration  and  in  reticulation  ;  to  a  greater  degree  even  than  the  most  aberrant 
genera  of  that  family  do  from  the  normal  type.  This  same  genus  is  also  more  compli- 
cated in  wing  structure  than  its  modern  allies ;  the  reticulation  of  the  wing  in  certain 

i  Cf.  Mem.  Boat.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ill,  19,  note  1. 


INSECTS  OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


S3 


structurally  defined  areas  in  polygonal  and  tolerably  regular,  instead  of  being  simply  quad- 
rate; while  the  intercalated  veins  are  all  connected  at  thoir  base,  instead  of  being  free. 
Xenoneura  also,  as  compared  with  modern  Sialina,  shows  what  should  perhaps  be  deemed 
a  higher  (or  at  leoit  a  later;  type  of  structure,  in  the  ainiilgamation  of  the  externomodian 
and  scapular  veins  for  a  long  distance  from  the  base,  and  in  the  peculiar  structure  and 
lateral  attachments  of  the  imicrnomedian  veins;  in  the  minuter  and  feebler  cross 
venation,  however,  it  has  an  opposite  character. 

12.  We  appear,  therefore,  to  he  no  nearer  the  beginning  of  things  in  the  devonian 
epoch,  than  in  the  carboniferous,  so  far  as  either  greater  unity  or  simplicity  of  structure  is 
concerned ;  and  these  earlier  forms  cannot  be  used  to  any  better  advantage  tlian  the 
carboniferous  types  in  support  of  any  special  theory  of  the  origin  of  insects.  All  such  . 
theories  have  required  some  Zoaea,  Leptus,  Campodea,  or  other  simple  wingless  form  as 
the  foundation  point ;  and  this  ancestral  form,  according  to  Haeckel  at  least,  must  be 
looked  for  above  the  silurian  rocks.  Yet  we  have  in  the  devonian  no  traces  whatever  of 
such  forms,  but  on  the  contrary,  as  far  down  as  the  middle  of  this  period,  winged  insects 
with  rather  highly  differentiated  structure,  which,  taken  together,  can  be  considered 
lower  than  the  mass  of  the  upper  carboniferous  insects,  only  by  the  absence  of  the  very 
few  Hemiptera  and  Coleoptera  which  the  latter  can  boast.  Remove  those  few  insects 
from  consideration  (or  simply  leave  out  of  mind  their  future  development  to  very 
distinct  types),  and  the  middle  devonian  insects  would  not  suffer  in  the  comparison  with 
those  of  the  upper  carboniferous,  either  in  complication  or  in  diversity  of  structure. 
Furthermore,  thej  show  ^o  sort  of  approach  toward  either  of  the  lower  wingless  forms, 
hypothetically  looked  upon  as  the  ancestors  of  tracheate  Articulata. 

13.  Finally,  while  there  are  some  forma  which,  to  some  degree,  bear  out 
expectations  based  on  the  general  derivative  hypothesis  of  structural  development, 
there  are  quite  as  many  'i.ohich  are  altogether  unexpected,  and  cannot  be  explained  by 
that  theory,  without  involving  suppositions  for  which  no  facts  can  at  present  be  adduced. 
Palephemera  and  Gerephemera  are  unquestionably  insects  of  a  very  low  organization 
related  to  th«  existing  may-flies,  which  are  well  knoVn  to  be  of  inferior  structure,  as  com- 
pared with  other  living  insects ;  these  may-flies  are  indeed  among  the  most  degraded  of  the 
sub-order  to  which  they  belong,  itself  one  of  the  very  lowest  sub-orders.  Dyscritus  too 
may  be  of  similar  degradation,  although  its  resemblance  to  Homothetus  leaves  it 
altogether  uncertain.  But  no  one  of  these  exhibits  any  inferiority  of  structure  when 
compared  with  its  nearest  allies  in  the  later  carboniferous  rocks,  and  they  are  all  higher 
than  some  which  might  be  named.  While  of  the  remaining  species  it  can  be  con- 
fidentBly  asserted  that  they  are  higher  in  structure  than  most  of  the  carboniferous 
types,  and  exhibit  syntheses  of  character  differing  from  theirs.  It  is  quite  as  if  we 
were  on  two  distinct  lines  of  descent  when  we  study  the  devonian  and  the  carbon- 
iferous insects ;  they  have  little  in  common,  and  each  its  peculiar  comprehensive  types. 
Judging  from  this  point  of  view,  it  would  be  impossible  to  say  that  the  devonian 
insects  showed  either  a  broader  synthesis  or  a  ruder  type  than  the  carboniferous.  This 
of  course  may  be,  and  in  all  piobability  is,  because  our  knowledge  of  carboniferous 
insects  is,  in  comparison,  so  much  more  extensive ;  but,  judging  simply  by  the 
facts  at  hand,   it  appears  that  the   carboniferous  insects   carry  us   back  both  to  the 


34 


8CTTDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


hi 


I   H-i 


.4  '^■: 

!  ;l   'V 


more  simple  and  to  the  more  generalized  forms.  We  have  nothing  in  the  devonian 
I  flimple  as  EuephcmeritcH,  nothing  so  comprehensive  as  Eugereon,  nothing  at  once 
Bu  simple  and  comprehensive  as  Dictyoneura.  On  the  derivative  hypothesis,  we  must 
presume,  from  our  present  knowledge  of  devonian  insects,  that  the  Palacodictyoptera 
of  the  carboniferous  are  already,  in  that  epoch,  an  old  and  persistent  embryonic  type 
(as  the  living  Ephemeridao  may  be  considered  to-day,  on  a  narrower  but  more 
lengthened  scale);  that  some  other  insects  of  carboniferous  times,  together  with  most 
of  those  of  the  devonian,  descended  from  a  common  stock  in  the  lower  devonian 
or  Silurian  period ;  and  that  the  union  of  these  with  the  Palaeodictyoptera  was  even 
further  removed  from  us  in  time ;  —  carrying  back  the  origin  of  winged  insects  to 
a  far  remoter  antiquity  than  has  ever  been  ascribed  to  them ;  and  necessitating  a  faith 
in  the  derivative  hypothesis,  which  a  study  of  the  records  preserved  in  the  rocks  could 
never  alone  afford ;  for  no  evidence  can  be  adduced  in  its  favor  based  only  on 
such  investigations.  The  profound  voids  in  our  knowledge  of  the  earliest  history  of 
insects,  to  which  allusion  was  made  at  the  close  of  my  paper  on  the  Early  typet  of 
insects,  are  thus  shown  to  be  even  greater  and  more  obscure  than  had  been  presumed. 
But  I  should  hesitate  to  close  this  summary  without  expressing  the  conviction  that  some 
such  earlier  unknown  comprehensive  types  as  are  indicated  above  did  exist  and  should  be 
sought. 

X.    Note  on  the  Geological  Relations  of  the  Fossil  Insects  from  the  Devo- 
nian OF  New  Brunswick.     By  Principal  Dawson,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  &o. 

The  beds  affording  these  remains  occur  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  St.  John,  New 
Brunswick,  and  are  well  exposed  on  the  shores  of  Courtney  Bay,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
city,  and  at  Duck  Cove,  Lancaster,  on  its  western  side.  They  consist  of  sandstones, 
shales,  and  conglomerates,  having  an  aggregate  thickness  of  about  7,600  feet,*  as  shown 
in  the  following  generalized  section,  in  appending  order : — 

1.  Bloomabury  Conglomerate  —  Redlish-gray  conglomerate  with  interstratified  hard 
red  shale.  600  feet. 

2.  Dadoxylon  Sandstone  —  (Lower  part  of  Little  River  Group  in  my  Acadian  Geol- 
ogy). Gray  sandstone  and  grit,  with  beds  of  gray  and  black  graphitic  shale  —  Fossil  plants, 
etc.  2,800  feet. 

3.  Cordait"  Shales  —  (Upper  part  of  the  Little  River  Group)  —  red,  gray  and  black 
shales,  with  beds  of  sandstone  and  conglomerate  —  Fossil  Plants,  etc.  2,400  feet 

4.  Mispec  Conglomerate — Hed  conglomerate  and  shale.  1,800  feet. 
In  the  vicinity  of  St.  John,  these  beds  rest  on  Cambrian  rocks  of  the  Acadian  (Mene- 

vian)  group,  and  are  overlain  unc"  uformably  by  lower  carboniferous  ("sub-carboniferous") 
conglomerates,  which  in  their  extension  eastward  are  associated  with  the  Albert  shales 
holding  fossil  fishes  and  plants  of  characteristic  lower  carbonifierous  types.'   Elsewhere  in 


*  Report  of  Bailey  and  Mathew,  Gcol.  Survey  of  Canada, 
1871.  In  the  author's  Acadian  Geology,  the  thickness  is 
given  as  9500  feet;  but  later  observations  have  reducei^the 
thickness  of  the  lower  membeta. 


*  See  for  details  the   author's  Acadian  Geology,  3d  Edi- 
tion. 


\\ 


INaEOTS  OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


rontan 
once 
must 

roptcra 


Southern  New  Brunswick,  they  ovorUe  laurentiun  aid  huronian  rockH,  and  are  seen 
to  rise  unconformahly  from  honeath  the  carbonifurouH  rockH  of  the  great  central  coal-for- 
mation area  of  New  BrunHwick.'  They  are  everywhere  more  diHturbod  and  altered  than 
the  overlying  carboniferouH  bedH;  and  Mchhih.  Bailey  and  Mattliew  have  tthown  that 
certain  intrusive  moAHCH  and  dykes  of  granite,  known  to  be  of  pre-carboniferoua  age,  were 
erupted  subsequently  to  the  deposition  of  these  l)edH. 

The  vegetable  fossils  of  this  formation  are  very  numerous.  I  have  catalogued  or  des- 
cribed from  it  upwards  of  50  species,  belonging  to  the  genera  Dadoxylon,  Sigillaria,  Cal- 
amites,  Asterophyllitcs,  Lepidodendron,  Cordaites,  Psilophyton,  Neuropteris,  Sphen* 
opteris,  Hymenophyllitcs,  Pccopteris,  &c.;  the  whole  constituting  a  well-marked  devonian 
assemblage,  distinguishable  from  the  upper  devonian  flora  of  Perry  in  Maine,  which  is 
perhaps  newer  than  the  Mispec  conglomerate,  and  still  more  distinct  from  the  lower 
carboniferous  flora  of  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia,  while  on  the  other  hand  it  is 
incomparably  better  developed  than  any  known  flora  of  silurian  age.  Owing  to 
the  richness  of  this  flora,  and  to  the  fact  that  some  genera  and  species  of  plants  appear 
earlier  in  North  America  than  in  Europe,  some  European  palaeobotanists  have  been  un- 
willing to  admit  the  devonian  age  of  this  formation,  but  entirely  without  good  reason. 

That  some  of  the  species  of  the  St.  John  beds,  as  Calamitea  transitionia  {=C.  radiatua  of 
Brongniart),  are  found  in  the  lower  carboniferous  of  Europe,  is  not  wonderful,  as  in  the 
devonian  as  well  as  in  subsequent  periods  the  flora  of  America  has  b(;en  somewhat  in 
advance  of  that  of  Europe.  Still  the  prevalent  plants  in  the  St.  John  beds  are  distinctively 
erian  or  devonian  and  not  carboniferous.  Further,  recent  discoveries  of  tree-ferns  and 
petioles  of  ferns  in  great  abundance  in  the  devonian  of  New  Yoik,  and  as  low  as  the 
Hamilton  group,  have  shovm  that  the  devonian  must  have  been  even  more  remarkable 
than  the  carboniferous  for  the  abundance  and  variety  of  its  ferns.  A  few  additional 
species  of  ferns  found  among  specimens  remaining  in  Professor  Hartt's  collections  will 
shortly  be  described. 

The  crustaceans  recognized  in  these  beds  are  Eurypterua  pulicaria  Salter ;  Amphip  "Mia 
paradoxua  Salter,  a  precursor  of  the  Stomapods ;  and  a  pygidium  of  a  small  trilobite, 
unfortunately  too  imperfect  for  determination.  A  species  of  Spirorbis,  which  I  have 
described  as  S.  erianua,'  occurs  attached  to  leaves  of  Cordaites,  and  is  distinct  from  the 
common  Spirorbia  of  the  coal-measures  {S.  carbonariua  or  puaillua).  A  fragment  of  a 
spiral  shell  may  possibly  represent  a  devonian  pulmonate,  and  will  be  noticed  in  a 
forthcoming  paper  on  the  pulmonates  of  the  carboniferous.  No  other  animal  remains 
have  been  found  in  these  beds,  except  the  fossil  insects.  The  conditions  of  deposit  were 
probably  estuariue  rather  than  marine,  and  the  abundant  fossil  plants  testify  to  the  prox- 
imity of  land. 

It  is  difficult  to  correlate  the  subdivisions  of  the  devonian  in  eastern  Canada,  with 
those  in  the  great  erian  area  of  New  York  and  western  Canada,  owing  to  the  absence  of 
the  marine  limestones,  so  characteristic  of  the  latter.  In  my  report  on  the  fossil  plants 
of  the-  devonian  and  upper  silurian  of  Canada,'  I  have,  however,  stated  some  grounds 


*  Bailey  and  Mattbew'B  Reports,  which  see  also  for  details 
of  the  structure  end  rilations  of  the  devonian  and  associated 
fornatioDs,  in  southern  New  Brunswick. 


*  Re|)ort  on  devonian  plants.    Geol.  Surv.  Canada,  1871. 

*  Geol.  Survey  of  Canada,  1871. 


86 


HCUDDER  ON  THE  DFVONIAN 


i 


I  \ 


■  1 


■!"l(i 


for  believing  that  the  Dadoxylon  nnndntrne  and  Cordaite  ehnles  may  be  equivalents  of  the 
Hamilton  group  in  Nuw  York  and  Ohio,  whicr.  haii  aflbrdod  nomo  foHHil  plantu  comparor 
bio  with  thoHO  of  the  St.  John  bodfi,  onpccially  trunks  of  conifers  of  the  genus  Dadoxylon 
(Araucaroxylon),  The  horizon  of  the  fosuil  insects  of  St.  John  would  thus  be  middle 
devonian. 

In  the  finer  Hhalos  of  this  sorios,  the  remains  of  plants  are  very  perfectly  preserved, 
the  most  delicate  leaves  having  not  only  their  outlines  but  also  their  nervature  repre- 
sented by  films  and  lines  of  shining  graphite,  resembling  p mcil  drawings  on  a  dark  gray 
ground.    The  insect  wings  are  preserved  in  a  similar  manner. 

The  discovery  of  the  insect  remains  is  wholly  due  to  the  late  Prof.  C.  F.  Hartt,  who, 
with  the  aid  of  other  gentlemen,  menibers  of  the  Natural  History  Society  of  New  Bnms- 
wick,  removed  by  blasting  large  quantities  of  the  richest  fossilifurous  beds  and  examined 
them  with  great  care.  The  extreme  rarity  of  these  remains  renders  it  probable  that 
but  for  the  large  quantities  of  material  examined  by  Professor  Hartt,  they  would  not 
have  been  found ;  while  the  extreme  delicacy  of  the  impressions  would  have  prevented 
them  from  being  observed  except  by  a  very  careful  collector  scrutinizing  every  surface  in 
the  search  for  leaflets  of  ferns,  preserved  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  visible  only  under 
the  most  favorable  light.  These  unusually  perfect  explorations  should  be  taken  into 
the  account  in  any  comparisons  made  of  the  fossils  of  thb  locality  with  those  of  other 
places. 

The  following  detailed  section  of  the  Little  River  Group,  at  the  Fern  Ledges,  Lancaster, 
N.  B.,  where  the  insects  occur,  is  derived  from  Professor  Hartt's  paper  in  Bailey  and 
Matthew's  report  before  alluded  to,  and  is  substantially  the  same  as  given  in  my  Acadian 
Geology. 

Section  at  the  "  Fern  Ledges."    (Order  ascending.) 

Heavy  beds    of  gray  sandstone   and  flags  (Dadoxylon  sandstone).      Dadoxylon  ot/an- 

gondianum  Daws.,  Calamites,  etc.  Thickness,  by  estimation,  300  feet. 

Under  this  head  I  have  classed  all  the  beds  underlying  the  Plant-bed  No.  1,  which  I  am 
disposed  to  regard  as  the  lowest  of  the  rich  plant-bearing  layers,  and  the  base  of  the 
Cordaite  shales.  These  beds  occupy  the  low  ground  lyin;-  between  the  ridge  of  the 
Bloomsbury  group  and  the  shore.  They  are  covered  by  drift,  and  show  themselves  only 
in  limited  outcrops,  and  in  the  ledges  on  the  shore.  In  the  western  part  of  the  ledges 
they  are  thrown  forward  on  the  beach  by  a  fault,  forming  a  prominent  moss  of  rock,  in 
the  summit  of  which  a  fine  trunk  of  Dadoxylon  is  seen  ombedded  in  the  sandstone. 
Becent  excavations  made  in  the.se  beds  in  quarrying  sto^tc  i'jt  building  purposes,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  locality,  where  the  rocka  are  very  miiuh  broken  up  by  dislocations, 
have  exposed  numerous  badly  preserved  impressions  of  large  trunks  of  this  tree. 
Plant-bed  No.  1 Thickness,  1  foot. 

Black  arenaceous  shale,  varying  from  a  fissile  sandstone  to  a  semi- papyraceous  shale, 
very  fine-grained  and  very  fissile,  charged  most  richly  with  beautifully  preserved  remains 
''f  plants,  among  which  ar'e  the  following  species : — 

Calamites  tranaitionis  Goeppert.  (C.  radiatus  Br.)  Occasional,  in  large,  erect  speci- 
mens.— Asterophyllitea  latifolia  Daws.  Extremely  abundant,  often  showing  ten  or 
twelve  whorls  of  leaves,  sometimes  with  many  branches. — A.  adcularis  Daws.    Also 


■  '*'*V(rff!-t*ffl*-**i»M  r 


INHKCT8  OF  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


very    abundant. — A.  nnUigera    Dawn.      Tho  curious  ■terns  of  this  speciefl,    wifh 
thoir    Mculo-arinud     noduH,  occur    abundantly   in   this    bod. — Sphennphyllum     anti- 
quum  DawM. — PccojHeriH  ohHcurn    liOsqx. — SphenrqHerU    tip.? — Cardiocarpum    cot' 
'■      nutum    DawN.     Riiro.  —  Ps'dophyton    elegans    Dnwa.    Occasional.      I    have     never 
detected  any  trace  uf  Cordaitea  Robbii  Daws.,  in  tluH  bed.     It  Im  extremely  common 
in  the  overlying  Htrata. 
Gray  nandHtones  and  flagH,  with  occaMional  ill-nreHorvod  plants,   Calamitea  transitionia 
Ooeppt. — Cordaitea  Robbii  DawH. — AaterophyUitea  and  Sternbergiae       .   2  feet  6  in. 
Black  arenaceous  shalcH  of  the  same  character  as  those  of  Plant-bed  No.  1,  but 

without  fossils,  so  far  as  I  have  examined ll  inches. 

Compact  flaggy,  graj'  sandstone,  with  badly  preserved  plant  r<>mains,  Calamitea, 

etc 2  feet. 

Very  soil,  dark,  lead-colored  shales,  much  slicken-sided  and  charged  with  frag- 
ments of  plants.  This  bed  is  so  soft  that  the  action  of  the  weather  and  the 
sea  have  everywhere  denuded  it  to  ^he  level  of  the  beach    ....  4  feet. 

Plant-bed  No.  2 1  foot. 

At  tho  point  whore  the  section  crosses  the  bed,  and  where  I  first  discovered  it,  it  con- 
sists of  very  compact  and  hard,  light  lead-coloured,  slate-likr,  arenaceous  shale  ;  but  the 
character  of  the  shale  varies  much  in  its  different  exposures,  being  sometimes  very  soft 
and  fissile,  and  of  a  very  black  colour.  The  following  is  the  list  of  species  which  it 
affords : — 

Calamitea  tranaitionia  Ooeppt.  Occasionally;  never  in  good  specimens. — C.  cannae- 
formia  Brongn.  Occasionally ;  never  in  good  specimens. — Aaterophyllitea  acicularia 
Daws.  Rather  rare. — A.  latifolia  Daws.  Rather  rare. — A.  longifolia  Brongn.  (?). 
Rather  rare. — A.  parvula  Daws.  Whorls  of  a  minute  Aaterophyllitea,  which 
may  belong  to  this  species,  are  not  infrequent  in  this  bed.  —  Sporangitea 
acuminata  Daws. — Pinnularia  diapalana  Daws.  Abundant. — Pailophyton  elegana 
Daws.  Quite  common,  always  in  fragments,  never  in  good  specimens. — 
P.  glahrum  Daws.  Flattened  stems,  with  a  wavy  woody  axis  traced  in  a 
brighter  line  of  graphite,  occur  in  this  bed,  but  always  in  fragments. — Cor- 
daitea Robbii  Daws.  Extremely  abundant,  and  very  fine  specimens  may  be 
obtained,  especially  from  the  upper  part  of  the  bed,  and  rarely  specimens  showing 
the  base  or  the  apex  of  the  leaf. — Cydopteria  obtuaa  Lesqx.  Occurs  very  abund- 
antly in  detached  pinnules. — C.  varia  Daws.  Rare. — Neuropteria  polymorpha  Daws. 
Extremely  abundant,  never  in  large  fronds. — Sphenopteria  Hoeninghauaii  Brongn. 
Quite  abundant,  often  in  fine  fronds. — S.  marginata  Daws.  Abimdant,  in  fine  fronds. 
— 8.  Harttii  Daws.  Very  rare. — ^The  original  specimen  came  from  this  bed. — 
Hymenophyllitea  Geradorffii  Goeppt.  Rather  rare. — H.  obtuailobua  Goeppt.  Rare. 
— H.  curtilobua  Daws. — Akthnpteria  diacrepana  Daws.  Amongst  all  the  abundance 
of  plants  afforded  by  Plant-bed  No.  2,  I  have  detected  only  one  or  two  pinnules  of 
this  fern,  which  appears  first  in  abundance  in  Plant-bed  No.  3.  It  is  afterwards  one  of 
the  most  common  species. — Pecopteria  ingena  Daws.  Very  rare,  only  two  or  three 
fragments  of  pinnules  having  been  found. — Trichomanitea  (?)  Only  a  single  speci- 
men, probably,  as    Dawson    has  suggested,  only   the    skeleton  of  a  fern. — Car- 


88 


SCUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


diocarpum  cornutum  Daws.  Abuud?nt,  and  very  finely  preserved,  never  attached 
— C.  obliquum  Daws.  Quite  abundant,  also  never  attacked. —  Trigonocarpum 
racemoaum  Daws.  Rare.-  -Eurypterua  puUcaria  Salter.  The  occurrcince  in  Plant- 
bed  No.  2  of  this  minute  crustacean  was  first  detected  by  my  friend  Mr.  George 
Matthew.  It  is  very  rare,  not  more  than  four  or  five  specimens  having  been  found 
by  Messrs.  Matthew,  Payne,  and  myself  at  the  time  of  the  description  of  the  species 
by  Salter.  I  hare  since  that  time  succeeded  in  collecting  nearly  twice  as  many  more, 
some  of  which  Appear  to  belong  to  a  new  species. — Amphipeltia  paradoxus  Saltfjt. 
The  rpocimen  figured  in  Salter's  paper  was  found  by  Professor  Dawson  and  myself,  in 
breaking  a  piece  of  shale  in  my  cabinet,  that  came  from  this  bed.  Only  one  other 
specimen  has  since  been  obtained.  It  consists  of  two  or  more  of  the  thoracic  seg> 
meuts,  and  was  collected  by  Mr.  Lunn.  It  is  iu  the  collection  of  the  Natural  History 
Society  of  New  Brunswick.  In  addition  to  the  above  species,  this  bed  has  afibrded 
the  following: — Cyclopterisy  sp.  nov — Neuropteris,  sp.  nov.  A  single  specimen 
collected  by  Mr.  Lunn. — Snhenopteris,  sp.  nov. — Spirorbia  erianua  Daws.  The  leaves 
of  Cordaites  in  the  uppei-  part  of  the  bed  are  as  thickly  covered  with  a  little 
Spirorhia  as  are  the  fronds  of  the  recent  fucoids  of  the  Ledges.  The  specimens 
are  poorly  preserved.  —  Trilohites.  Mr.  Payne  collected  a  minute  trilobite  from 
from  this  bed,  but  it  proved  not  determinable. — Insect  Remaina !  In  the  sum- 
mer of  1862, 1  discovered  an  organism  in  Plant-bed  No.  2,  which  at  the  time  I  could 
make  nothing  of;  but  which  I  have  since  proved  to  be  the  wing  of  an  insect.  Several 
weeks  after,  I  found  in  Plant-bed  No.  8  an  unequivocal  insect's  wing.  This  discovery  was 
followed  by  that  of  others,  my  father,  J.  W.  Hartt,  finding  another  in  this  bed.  [The 
insects  of  this  bed  are  Gerephemera.  simplex  and  Xenoneura  antiquorum.] 

Compact  flaggy  sandstone,  quite  barren 5  feet  10  inches. 

Plant-bed  No.  3 10  inches. 

Black  and  lead-colored  shales,  quite  compact  in  upper  part,  but  in  lower  very  crum- 
bling, splitting  irregularly,  slicken-sided,  often  with  polished  surfaces,  and  traversed  by 
thin  quartz-veins.  These  shales  are  so  soft  that  the  sea  and  weather  have  everywhere 
denuded  them  to  the  level  of  the  beach.  There  are  now  no  exposures  of  the  bed  work- 
able.    The  following  are  the  fossils  which  occur  in  it : — 

Calamitea  tranaitionis  Goeppt.  Occasionally.  —  C.  cannaeforr.iis  Brongn.  —  Aste- 
rophyllitea  latifolia  Daws.  Very  beautiful  whorls  of  this  plant  are  very  common 
here,  the  whorls,  though  usually  detached,  being  sometimes  found  united  three  or 
four  together. — Sporangites  acuminata  Daws.  Common. — Pinnuloria  dispalans 
Daws.  Common. — Psilophyton  elegans  Daw  Occasionally. — ^P.(?)  glahrum 
Daws.  Occasionally. — Cordaites  Robhii  Daws.  Extremely  abundant,  but  not  so 
'  well  preserved  as  in  Plan<rbed  No.  2.  Leaves  usually  appear  as  polished  bands  of 
graphite,  with  venation  obliterated. — Cydopteris  obtusa  Lesqx.  Not  very  abundant. 
— Neuropteris  polymorpha  Dav/s.  In  beautiful  specimens,  common. — Sphenopteris 
marginata  Daws.  Not  common. — S.  Hoeninghausii  Brongn.  Not  common. — Pecop- 
teris  [Alethopteris)  discrepans  Daws.  It  was  here  that  I  first  discovered  this  species. 
It  occurs  quite  abundantly,  but  always  in  fragments. — Oardiocarpum  cornutum  Daws. 
Quite  common. — C.  obliquum  Daws.     Quite  common.    ,_ 


iNSKcrrs  OP  new  Brunswick. 


89 


Coarse  sandstone,  full  of  obscure  casts  of  Sternhergiae  and  Calamitea  .      6  feet   6  inches. 

Soft  shale  and  fissile  sandstone,  with  Calamitea ^  S^- 

Sand^tones 2  feet    3 

Shale  with  obscure  remains  of  plants 2^ 

Sandstones,  barren,  so  far  as  examined 4  feet  10 

Sandstone  and  shale,  with  a  few  Calamites  and  Cordaitea      ...  9 

Sandstone  and  coarse  shale,  with  obscure  markings       ....     6  feet  10 
Light  greenish,  coarse  shale,  with  fern-stems,  Cordaitea,  and  obscure 

markings,  Carpolitea  (?) 7 

Sandstones  and  coarse  shales,  with  badly  preserved  vegetable  remains      18  feet    9 

Plant-bed  No.  4 1  foot    0 

Coarse  shales,  affording  at  the  point  where  the  line  of  section  crosses  it :  — 
Cordaitea  Rohbii  Daws. — Calamitea    transitionis    Goeppt. — Neuropteria  polymorpha 
Daws. — Pailophyton  glahriim  Daws.-  Pinnularia  dlapalana  Daws. 
"I  have  examined  at  two  different  points,  in  the  eastern  part  of  this  locality,  a  bed 
which  appears  to  correspond  to  this.     It  is  characterized  there  by  a  very  beautiful  iVew- 
ropteria  ^  (iV".  Dawaoni  Hartt)  with  long  linear  lanceolate  pinnules  decurrent  on  the  rachis, 
to  which  they  form  a  broad  wing.    The  pinnules  are  often  four  inches  in  length.    This 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ferns  occurring  at  the  locality.    Several  other  new  forms  are 
associated  with  it.    Among  these  is  a  magnificent  Cardiocarpum,  nearly  two  inches  in 
diameter  (C.  5a '7cyi  Daws.). 

Sandstone  witL  obscure  markings 9  feet  6  inches. 

Plant-bed  No.  5 6  inches. 

Soft,  fine-grained  light-greenish  shale. 

Cordaitea  Bohbii  Daws.  Extremely  abundant.  —  Calamitea  cannaeformia  Brongn. 
Found  occasionally. — Pailophyton  (?)  glabrum  Daws. — (?)  Aaterophyllitea  adcularis 
Daws.  —  Aleihopteria  diacrepana  Daws.  Quite  abundant. — Sphenopteria  marginata 
Daws.  Quite  abundant. — Pecopteria,  sp.  nov.  {1)  —  Hymenophyllitea  sp.  (?) — Neurop- 
teria polymorpha  Daws.  Very  abundant — Spirorhia  occurs  in  the  bed,  attached  to 
the  leaves  of  Cordaitea.  I  have  never  detected  it  in  any  of  the  beds  higher  up.  , 
Compact  flaggy  sandstones  and  coarse  shales,  with  a  few  plants.        ...        8  feet. 

Plant-bed  No.  6.  2  feet. 

Fine-grained  and  lightrcoloured  shale,  with  great  abundance  of  Cordaitea  Rohbii,  and 
Calamitea  tranaitionia ;  above  that  a  layer  of  coarse  shale,  with  Cordaitea  and  stems  of 
plants  badly  preserved  ;  then  a  layer  of  soft,  very  friable  shale,  with  few  fossils ;  and  lastly, 
a  layer  of  coarse  shale  of  a  greenish-gray  colour,  with :  — 

Aleihopteria    diacrepans    Daws.    Abundant. — Cordaitea    Rohhii  Daws.     Abundant. — 

Calamitea  cannaeformia   Brongn. — Neuropteria  polymorpha  Daws. — Cardiocarpum 

cornutum  Daws. — Cardiocarpum   obliquum   Daws. —  Pecopteria,   sp.  nov.     Occvurs 

abundantly  in  some  of  the  overlying  beds. 

Sandstones  and  coarse  shales,  with  abundance  of  plant  remains,  principally  Cordaitea 

and  Calamitea      .         . 5  feet. 


*  This  plant  belongs  to  a  new  genus,  subsequently  named  ^egsJcpieris.    Report  on  devonian  plants  of  Canada,  ?  871. 


40 


SCUDDER  ON  THE  DEVONIAN 


,;  ;st 


Plant-bed  No.  7    .        .      * 2  feet. 

This  is  one  of  the  richest  plant-beds  of  the  section.  The  shales  composing  it  vary 
much  in  character  in  different  exposures.  They  are  for  the  most  part  of  a  gray  colour 
and  compact,  like  a  fine-grained  sandstone,  though  they  pass  into  a  light  brownish,  very 
fissile,  soft  shale,  and  there  are  some  layers  of  a  very  black  colour. 

Cordaites  Bohbii  Daws.  Very  abundant,  and  in  a  beautiful  state  of  preservation. — 
Calamites  tranaitionia  Goeppt.  Not  abundant  as  good  specimens. — C.  cannae/ormia 
Brongn.  Rare. — {'i)Aat&rophyllitea  acicularia  Daws.  In  very  beautiful  specimens, 
very  common  in  certain  thin  layers.  There  are  two  or  three  other  species,  occuning 
also  in  the  overlying  beds,  which  appear  to  be  new. —  Sporangitea  acuminata  Daws. 
Extremely  plentiful.  —  Pinnularia  diapalana  Daws.  Extremely  plentiful. — 
(?)  Pailophyton  elegana  Daws.  I  have  obtained  several  specimens  of  a  Pailophyton 
growing  in  tufts,  and  closely  resembling  this  species. — Neuropteria  polymorpha 
Daws.  Occasional. —  Alethopteria  discrepana  Daws.  Abundant,  and  obtainable  in 
good  specimens. — Cydopteria  obtuaa  Lesqx.  Occasional. — Sphenopteria  mar- 
ginata  Daws. — Hymenophyllitea  auhfurcatua  Daws. — Cardiocarpum  cornutum  Daws. 
Quite  abundant. — C.  obliquum  Daws.  Quite  abundant.  — C.  Crampii  Hartt.  — 
Alethopteria  Perleyi  Hartt. — Sphenopteria  piloaa  Daws. — Several  other  plants 
not  yet  determined. — Inaecta.  A  single  insect's  wing  was  obtained  from  this  bed 
by  my  father  and  myself.  [Platephemera  antiqua.] 
Compact  sandstone  and  coarse  shales  (barren  of  fossils)     .         .         .         .         .        3  feet. 

Plant-bed  No.  8.  1  foot  10  inches. 

Fine-grained,  tough,  but  fissUe  sandstones,  rather  coarse  shales,  often  of  a  greenish 
cast,  and  at  the  top  a  thin  layer  of  very  black  ahule  very  rich  in  plants.  The  middle  por- 
tion does  not  contain  so  many  plant  remains,  but  the  lower  is  as  well  stocked  as  the 
leaves  of  an  herbarium.     The  following  are  the  fossils  I  have  collected  from  it : — 

Cordaitea  Bobbii  Daws.  As  usual  in  great  profusion,  and'  in  very  fine  specimens. — 
Catamites  tranaitionia  Goeppt.  Occasional. — C  cannae/ormia  Brongn. — (?)  Aate- 
rophyllitea  adf^daria  Daws.  Quite  common,  together  with  one  or  two  other  species 
apparently  new,  which  occur  also  in  Bed  7. — Annularia  acuminata  Daws.  Ex- 
tremely common,  especially  in  certain  layers. — Pinnularia  diapalana  Daws.  Abun- 
dant.— (?)  Lycopoditea  Matthewi  Daws.  Rare. — Cydopteria  obtuaa  Lesqx. — Cydop- 
teria, sp.  nov. — Neuropteria  polymorpha  Daws.  Quite  frequent  in  detached  pinnules. 
— Hymenophyllitea  aubfurcatua  Daws.  Very  common. — Alethopteria  discrepana 
Daws.  This  is  the  most  abundant  fern  in  this  bed.  It  occurs  usually  in  detached 
pinnules,  though  not  unfrequently  in  considerable  fronds. — Alethopteria.  Besides 
the  above,  there  are  three  or  four  other  species,  some  of  which  occur  also  in  Beds 
6  and  7  ^.-  -Cardiocarpum  oornutum  Daws.  Not  very  common. — C.  obliquum 
Daws.  Also  not  very  common. — C.  Crampii  Hartt.  Quite  common. — Several 
other  species  of  plants  not  yet  determined. — Inaecta.  Two  species,  two  specimens. 
One  was  obtained  by  my  friend,  Mr.  James  Hegan.  [Three  insects  were  obtained 
from  the  bed:  Homotuetus  fossilis,  Dyscritus  vetustus  and  Lithentomum 
Harttii.] 

*  Probably  the  species  aflerwards  described  (Dr.  Dawson's      serrulata  Hartt,  and  Pecopterit  preciosa  Hartt. 
Report  of  1871)   as    Alelhopleris  Perleyi  Hartt,  Pecopleris 


very 


INSECTS  OP  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 


41 


Sandstones  and  coarse  shales,  with  badly  preserved  Cordaitea  Rohhii  Daws.,  C.  tran- 

iitionia  Goeppt.,  and  Alethopteris  discrepana  Daws 26  feet. 

Fine-grained,  lightrgreenish  shale,  with  obscure  remains 1  foot. 

Sandstone  and  shales,  with  Calamites  and  obscure  markings    ....  23  feet. 


Total  thickness  of  the  beds  embraced  in  this  section 


440  feet,  11  inches. 


XI.    EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE. 


Fig.  1.  Homothetus  fosailia  (magn.  )).  The  dotted  lines  are  conjeotural ;  the  break  in  the  dotted  line 
representing  the  outer  border  indicates  the  presumed  amount  of  separation  at  that  point  to  aoooant  for  the 
bending  of  the  outer  piece  of  the  wing. 

Fig.  2.     2'he  same  {\).    With  no  parts  restored. 

Fig.  3.  lAthentomum  Harttii  {\).  The  dotted  lines  show  the  presumed  oonneotion  of  the  basal  veins 
with  the  other  fragment. 

Fig.  4.    Dyscritus  vetustus  ({). 

Fig.  5.  ^enoneura  antiquorum  (f).  The  dotted  lines  indicate  the  supposed  coarse  of  the  veins  and 
border  where  tliey  are  not  preserved.  A  portion  of  the  base  is  shaded  to  show  the  exact  appearance  of 
the  concentric  ridges ;  this  basal  portion  is  mostly  drawn  from  the  same  stone  as  fig.  7,  but  the  small  fragment 
unshaded,  at  the  extremity  of  the  anal  vein,  and  the  cross  vein  are  drawn  in  from  the  reverse  of  fig.  6,  shown 
in  fig.  6;  so  also  is  the  larger  apical  piece  with  part  of  the  lower  margin,  these  two  parts  being  more  complete 
on  the  reverse  than  on  the  obverse. 

Figs.  6  and  7.  The  same  {\),  With  no  parts  restored.  The  apical  fragment  of  fig.  7  is  not  represented  ; 
it  exists,  bnt  is  not  so  complete  as  in  fig.  6. 

Figs.  8  and  8*.  Qerephemera  simplex  (f ).  The  two  independent  lines  at  the  extremity  of  the  costal 
margin  are  inserted  from  a  drawing  made  under  the  camera  when  only  these  lines  and  the  outer  margin  with 
the  tip  of  the  veins  were  exposed ;  in  working  out  the  rest  of  the  wing  these  were  broken  away,  but  are 
here  restored.  The  arrow  indicates  the  direction  of  8',  which  represents  the  contour  of  the  surface  of  the  wing, 
the  upper  dotted  extremity  indicating  the  costal  margir^  (shown  to  the  left  of  the  arrow),  and  the  dots  along 
its  course  the  position  of  the  veins  it  crosses. 

Fig.  9.  Platephem&ra  antiqtta  (j).  The  faint  line  of  dashes  above  the  marginal  vein  represents  the 
margin  of  the  wing,  indicated  on  the  stone  by  a  slight  darkening  of  the  surface.  The  dotted  lines  at  base  and 
at  tip  indicate  the  presumed  form  of  the  wing. 

Fig.  10.  The  same  (|).  This  figure,  the  reverse  of  fig.  9,  is  so  placed  in  relation  to  the  precedirg  as  to 
indicate  the  probable  expanse  of  wing  of  this  insect ;  a  fragment  at  the  lower  angle  of  this  specimen  is  not 
preserved  in  fig.  9,  which  possesses  a  bit  of  the  outer  margin  not  found  in  this. 

ii  i(;s.  1,  2,  4,  6,  8, 10  represent  specimens  preserved  in  the  museum  of  the  Natural  History  Society  of  St. 

.;5<.  i,.  N.  B. 

F:j,f    ),  7,  9  represent  specimens  in  the  museum  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History. 

I'  i  J  o  is  a  composite  drawing  from  the  specimens  in  each  museum.  The  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History 
possesses  the  reverse  of  a  small  portion  of  fig.  8 ;  and  the  St.  John  Society  the  reverse  of  No.  8,  neither  of 
which  are  engraved. 

The  plate  was  executed  by  Messrs.  Sinclair  &  Son  of  Philadelphia. 


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